ELSEWHERE
by Mr. Chaos
Summary: Beyond New York, Beyond the Cheerleader, there is Elsewhere. As Hiro, Peter, & Matt discover their powers, the hidden hero, Carter Daniels, emotion manipulator, fights his secret war to protect them all. Final Season of Heroes and Elsewhere!
1. Genesis

Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, shape, or form own any of the characters or ideas from the show HEROES. HEROES and all associated with the show belong to NBC and the producers of the program and creator Tim Krieg. All original characters were created by me, Mr. Chaos. Any resemblance to people currently or at once living is pure coincidental. All locations are, to the best of my knowledge, accurate.

* * *

**In recent days, a seemingly random group of individuals has emerged with whatcan only be described as "special" abilities.**

**But for those that are known, there are many more that remain hidden, their stories untold...till now. Nothing can stay hidden forever...and some stories must be told. Every story has another side.**

**Volume One oftheir epic tale begins here...**

_

* * *

_

_"In each of our lives, there comes a moment, when we are given the chance to change everything. Where we must make a choice of which path to take. But the path, it is not always what we believe it to be."_

_-Mohinder Suresh_

* * *

(Flint, Michigan)

"Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it!"

That steady mantra poured on from the young man's lips as he rushed to class, cutting across the grass. He ignored the winding sidewalks that others students took on their way to class. Sidewalks were for those that had time to spare.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it!"

Leaping over the short shrubs that lay in his way, he quickly pushed his way through the revolving doors of the White Build, hurrying past the vending machines and TVs that quietly showed whatever fluff CNN was airing to fill it's day. Barely registering whatever Wolf Blitzer was saying about some guy named Petrelli running for Congress, the now _very late_ student hurried to the elevators, managing to squeeze in just before the doors closed.

'Stupid parking lot.' He grumbled. 'Stupid students all parking in the same parking lot.' He had arrived 15 minutes early, only to spend ten of those minutes trying to find a spot in the overcrowded parking garage. It didn't help that all the remaining spots that had been opened were shrunk down to compact size thanks to the SUVs and vans that were seemingly designed to make his life miserable.

'Car still has that damn scratch from the last time I tried to park next to one.' He thought as he looked up towards the elevator doors. They slide open, letting several people off…on the second floor. Glancing over, he saw that the buttons for the 3rd floor were lit as well, meaning he would have to endure the never closing doors for another round before he even had a chance to get to the 4th floor.

'Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it.'

&&&

"Small changes…they can cause big reactions. They compound, altering the world around them over and over until they have changed the world completely. It sounds crazy, but we can watch it happen a thousand times over.

"Think of it like throwing a stone in a pond. Ripples slowly form, reaching out in all directions. And as those ripples grow, others form in their wake, and these ripples grow as well, leaving their own ripples. Even when we cannot see the ripples, the water's movement has been changes…forever. All from one little stone.

"This is what the Butterfly Effect teaches us. One small change can alter the course of everything. We can not see what will cause these changes until it's too late…more times then not we don't even realize it."

The teacher smiled, looking over the class. Filled with Communication Majors, they were all here because they didn't want to be, but needed to be. A mandatory class…the kind she hated to teach. The students had no spark, no drive. Come in, punch the clock, do their time, punch out, leave. The perfect training for the mindless world of grunts, where most of them were headed.

There was only one student who really got what she was trying to teach. Who actually cared about the lessons and theories and all that boring stuff.

The one that had just walked in late…again.

"Hello Carter." She said, looking at the young man. Carter Daniels was tall and lanky, no real muscle to speak off, but not bony either. Just long and lean. He had a mop of brown hair that always ended up hanging in his eyes. Even dressed in a plain t-shirt and jeans, he wasn't sloppy or anything like that.

He was the type of man that you could tell was handsome but didn't realize it. A childhood of being bullied had destroyed any chance of that. And so, he allowed himself to pushed around and ignored, when all he had to do was stand up for himself. The body was ready; it was the attitude that needed work.

Carter looked up at his professor sheepishly. "Uh…hi P-P-Professor Frey." He mentally cursed at himself for once again allowing himself to stutter. He could talk just fine in his head…but when out loud…

"Hi again Carter…would you mind taking a seat?"

"Oh…kay…" he stammered, slinking into the closest chair available. Before Prof. Linda Frey could begin her lesson, the sound of Carter's backpack open filled the quiet room. The young man grimaced, ducking his head as he hurried to get his notebook out and turned to the right page. Pen ready, he glanced up at Prof. Frey, waiting for her to begin speaking.

"Now that everyone is ready…" She said, causing Carter to look down at his notebook, "…we can begin. Now then, let us move on to management styles…"

&&&

"Carter, could I talk to you?" Prof. Frey asked, catching the young man as he headed for the door.

"Uh…y-y-ea…" He said, pushing his brown bangs away from his eyes. Making his way to the front of the classroom, he sat down at table, looking up at his teacher. Linda Frey was a young woman by teaching standards, only 7 years older then the students that she taught. Her second year on the job, she had shocked many in her classes the first day when they realized she wasn't a student. With her small frame, long black hair, youthful face and hyper attitude, one would be hard presses NOT to assume she was merely an older student.

It was her youthful nature that caused so many problems for her. Much of the older facility had noticed that Linda still held the belief that she could change the world. Even after watching as class after class of students remained just as lethargic as they had been in high school, Linda held the belief that she could make them into something great. They all smiled and nodded condescendingly as she ranted on and on about how one class would just sit there and not answer questions. To the older teachers, they knew it was only a matter of time before she lost that spark and learned to accept that she was merely a cog in the machine, or quit.

Most people like her quit.

But Linda stayed, hoping to find that one student that might prove the rest of the professors wrong. The one that was like her; the one with the drive to learn and do great things.

Carter Daniels could be that students. If only he weren't so screwed up.

"L-listen, Prof. Frey…I'm sorry about coming in late…I didn't mean to…"

"That's ok, Carter. I wanted to ask you something else."

"Oh?" He questioned nervously.

Linda looked at him carefully. "Why didn't you answer my question in class today? About Style Z?"

Carter gulped. "I-I didn't kn…kn…kn…know the answer." He managed to get out.

Linda sighed, pulling out a file. "Carter, this is a test you took for Prof. Lindel's Mass Com Theory Class. See this essay question about Style Z…you got a perfect score on it."

"I…I just f-forgot."

"Carter…" Linda said with a sigh. "How do you expect to be a reporter if you don't speak up?"

Carter looked down at his feet, finding his shoelaces all the more interesting. Ever since the 11th grade, Carter had wanted to be a television reporter. He had remembered September 11th, being so confused about what was going on in the world. One of his teachers had told them that Detroit could be a target, and if it was hit, they could be caught in the crossfire. For the sensitive teen, that had been enough to frazzle his already shaky nerves. But then, he had turned on the news, and a reporter had been talking about the terrorist attack. He'd told the public that everything would be ok, that America would be just fine.

It was funny…that reporter, some no-name brought in to help cover the story during the weeks that followed, had helped Carter more then his parents or school guidance councilor could. His words had made Carter feel safe, so he watched more of the news, slowly becoming addicted to the stories. Even after the news of 9/11 died down, Carter remained hooked on the programs. And he realized that's what he wanted to do. He wanted to be the one that made sure that other people weren't scared when tragedy struck. He wanted to soothe their fears and let them know that everything would turn out fine.

"T-this is di…di…different!" He said finally.

"Is it Carter? You freeze up in class in front of a group of your peers…and you think you can talk to millions of people?"

"It's different." Carter stressed weakly. "I won't s-see them. It will b-b-be just me, me and cam-camera man."

Linda Frey shook her head sadly, picking up the folder she had gotten the test from. "Carter, you are my best and worst student. You are years beyond your classmates. Your test scores are amazing, you retain information…you actually care about the material! You are the only student I have met so far that will remember what I taught you after the semester is over, and you will apply it!

"But you just don't have the attitude of a reporter. I'm not talking about your stuttering." She said, holding up a hand to stop the argument he was about to make. "I'm talking about the fact that you let people walk all over you. Last week, I asked you what the Nazi Swastika I'd drawn on the board was and you said it was just chalk. Katherine says your wrong and you close up, let her go on for 10 minutes about the history of the Holocaust. We were talking about Post-Modernism…you knew we were. But you just rolled over and took it."

"Why are you so angry?" Carter ground out,eyes flahsingin annoyance "I couldn't just ye-ye-yell at her!"

"Yes, you could of!" Linda exclaimed, her frustration getting the better of her. "Reporters have to push, Carter. They have to dig for a story. And they have to follow their gut. You can't be a good reporter if you just roll over!" Glaring at the young man, she stalked towards him, stabbing the air with her finger.

"C-c-calm down, Prof. Frey!" Carter cried out. "I get it!"

Prof. Frey looked at the shy student, the fight suddenly leaving her body. "I'm sorry Carter…I shouldn't have yelled at you. But…until you are willing to stand up for yourself, you'll never make a difference." She gave him a weak smile. "Do you understand?"

"Yea…" Carter said, shifting his book bag to the other shoulder.. "I've g-got to g-get to class, Professor." Turning on his heels, the young man hurried out of the classroom, leaving Prof. Frey alone, wondering what the heck had just gotten into her. She wasn't a woman known for her temper, or even a lack of patience.

So why had she just yelled at one of her favorite students?

&&&

'Make a difference.' Carter thought glumly as he plodded down the stairs, not wanting to deal with anyone at the moment. 'I'm trying to make a difference…is it my fault the world won't let me?' Not for the first time, Carter wondered why Fate had it out for him. It wasn't like he hadn't worked on improving his confidence. He'd seen psychiatrists. He'd done all the little exercises designed to break him out of his many phobias. He'd called out random questions in public to get use to potentially embarrassing situations. He'd watched himself in a mirror as he talked to break himself out of stuttering. He'd gone over every little detail of his life with a fine-tooth comb, looking for the moment when he'd become the way he was.

Nothing worked. He'd finally told his parents to stop wasting their money. No sense in them going broke to fix something that was too far-gone.

So lost in his thoughts, Carter didn't notice that he was no longer alone in the stairwell. Making his way steadily down to the first floor, he didn't see the other student rushing up until the two collided on one of the short landings that separated the stairs.

"Hey, would you watch where your…Daniels!"

Carter closed his eyes, hoping that maybe if he just didn't look, he wouldn't see who he had just heard.

"Hey Daniels, would you open your eyes?"

Realizing that nothing he did would make this wonderful situation go away, Carter opened his eyes. There, standing only a few feet away, was the grinning face of Hank Delpine.

Hank and Carter went back a bit. A year ago, Carter had begun working for the school paper, in hopes that it would allow him a chance to break out of his shell a bit, as well as give him a foothold to use in pursuing his career. Reporting for the paper was easy enough, and the editor was kind to him, letting Carter seek out his stories and find ones that didn't require him to do interviews or deal with large groups.

During one of the meetings he had been covering, the new reporter had overheard Hank Delpine give a speech about Democrats and their sins. Hank was the head of the Christian League at the college and had given the speech during one of their meetings. Carter had written up an opinion piece, asking whether it was right for someone to use a religious group to voice their political views.

Carter had been happy with the article, until his editor Kelly told him that the paper couldn't run it. It seemed that Delpine had leaned on the right people, convincing them that Carter hadn't understood what the speech was about and many of his comments were false. How his article had gotten leaked was still a mystery to him, but he had bigger problems then that. Hank Delpine wasn't the type of person to let something go. Though religious, he held a grudge like the best of them, and was willing to torment Carter whenever he had the chance.

"What were you doing, praying to God? Don't bother, God doesn't listen to people like you."

Carter looked away, trying to slink past the student and get the hell out of there. "I wa-wasn't praying."

"Of course you weren't. I forgot, you don't believe in God, do you?"

"I believe." Carter said meekly.

Hank rolled his eyes. "Yea, like God cares if you believe in him."

Realizing that he was stuck in a paradox, Carter moved a bit quicker to try and get out of Hank's line of fire. Unfortunately, the head of the UM Flint Christian League was on the ball, and not about to loss his favorite punching bag. Catching his arm, Hank pulled him back firmly to the landing.

"Where you think your going, buddy? I just want to talk to you."

"I have to g-get to cl-cl-cl…"

"Class?" Hank said. "Don't worry about class, ok? We have bigger things to discuss."

Carter licked his lips, wondering just how many of Jesus' teachings Hank followed. Because, at the moment, Hank wasn't offering to wash his feet or bless his wounds.

"Yea…heard through the grapevine that you were going another story about me…now, that can't be true, can it?"

"N-n-n-no…I-I-I don't report on that stuff anymore. You kn…kn…k…"

"Know that?"

"Yea." Carter said shakedly.

Hank nodded. "Good…I figured as much. Your not that stupid." He shook his head, a slight smirk on his face. "Nothing you could do that could really hurt me anyway…who's going to be a God-hating asshole like you?"

"I…don't hate God." Carter said softly.

"What was that?" Hank asked in mock surprise. "Did you just actually stand up for yourself? Well well well…the Lord must be workin' today, because I am seeing miracles." Hank sneered. He really did hate Carter Daniels. The young man represented why the world was in so much trouble. A lost sheep, unwilling to humble himself before God. 'He gives you life, he gives you warmth and love. And how do you repay him? By attacking his messengers. We are just trying to spread his word, and you and the rest of your demon-pagan friends want to throw us down into Hell with you.' Carter had tried to take down the messengers of God, and had never even bother to repent. That was what got Hank most of all: Carter just didn't seem to care enough to ask for forgiveness, in his view.

Hank looked down at the young man, amused. "Look at you…you'd never go against me, would you Carter? Your not that stupid. You'll never pull a stunt like you did last year again." He shook his head. "Why am I so afraid of you, then? Makes no sense…you couldn't scare anyone…go on…tell me I should fear you."

"W-what?"

"I want to hear you say it…say I should fear you." Hank taunted. "Come on Daniels…say it…"

"Y-you…y-you should f…f…"

Hank shoved him against a wall. "Say it like you mean it! Come on…tell me I should fear a pathetic, weak, annoying, insect like you. Tell me I should fear you! Come on…"

"I…I…"

"SAY IT!"

"YOU SHOULD FEAR ME!" Carter shouted, pushed to his limit. He winced as his voice reverberated through the stairwell, bouncing back and froth between the walls. He glanced upwards, hoping that there was no one around to hear his rather loud cry. 'Well, anyone other then Hank.' He thought with a sigh, glancing over to see what new torture the other student had ready.

He froze when he saw the scene before him.

Hank was crawled up in the corner of the stairwell, panic clear in his wide eyes. His entire body trembled as he locked eyes with Carter, whimpering slightly. The head of the Christian League shivered, curling up tighter.

"Don't…don't hurt me…"

"H-Hank?" Carter asked, wondering if this was some kind of trick. Maybe a trap to make him get to close…

"Please…please go away…" The student whimpered.

Carter frowned. "This isn't f-f-funny, Hank. Just s-s-stop it, pl-please." The other man shook his head violently. "H-Hank…it's not f-f-funny. You're only d-d-doing this because I said you sh…sh…should fear me." Carter noticed a strange light pour from his fingers, directly into Hank.

Letting out a scream, Hank clawed at the concrete blocks that surrounded him. Carter looked down at his former tormentor, then back at his hands.

"I…I did this, d-didn't I?" He whispered. Hank continue to cry out, rocking back in forth. Carter took one last look at the young man that had made his life hell this last year…and ran.


	2. Don't Look Back

"_Why are some people chosen to receive gifts? Is it some divine force that decides those that are worthy? A dark power that punishes sinners by making them different? Perhaps it is our genes; a chance combination of DNA. Or maybe, it is just random. Whatever it is, one think is for sure:_

_There is no going back."_

_-Mohinder_

"Don't hurt me…please…I'll do whatever you want…don't hurt me Carter… Carter… Carter… Carter… CARTER!"

Carter Daniels shot up from his bed, ramrod stiff. He panted, clutching the sheets to his chest, eyes staring out to the opposite wall. Carter had never understood the meaning of a cold sweat until this moment. Shivering, he could feel the beads of perspiration running down his shoulder, along his back till they soaked into the waistband of his pajamas.

Hank's panicked cries rang in his ears, taunting him. Carter was use to having nightmares that starred Hank Delpine, but not like this. Not with him as the instigator. Not him as the villain.

He wished it were just a dream. That it was his own mind, trying to comfort itself after the past year of torment by letting him have fantasy revenge.

But it wasn't. Somehow, he had forced Hank to fear him. With shouts and glowing hands.

"Carter?"

The young man turned his head towards the closed door of his room, eyes trying to adjust to the low light.

"Yea mom?"

"You are getting up, right? You have school in an hour."

"Yea mom…yea."

"Ok…the shower should be ready, and we have donuts. Just remember, you get 4, but leave some nutty ones for your dad."

Carter nodded, knowing that his mother couldn't see it. "Ok mom." The young man closed his eyes as his mother's footsteps drifted away from the door, leaving him once more with his thoughts.

&&&

"Hey Carter…Earth to Carter!"

Carter blinked, looking away from the window towards his editor. "Sorry Kelly…you say something?"

The editor of the school newspaper shook her head. "I said, why are you staring out that window for so long. Something interesting out there?"

The young man chuckled weakly. "Nah…just t-thinking." Pulling away from his dark thoughts, Carter stood up from the windowsill and walking towards the small desk that served as Kelly's workstation, watching as she moved photos around the sample front page. "H-how's the p-p-p-paper?"

"Coming along. You sure you are ok? You seem more twitchy then normal." She said, her words in no way mean or spiteful. Carter was use to her sense of humor and didn't let it get to him in the slightest.

"Fine…j-just a lot on my m-m-m-m…m-m…mind!" He final managed to get out.

"I can tell." Kelly said, swiveling in her chair to look at him. "Come on…something is up. You were brooding by the window, you are stuttering real bad…"

"I d-don't br-br-br-brood!" Carter whined, moving over to play with a rubber ball that sat on another editor's desk.

"Ok, you were just staring out the window acting all broody but really weren't." Kelly amended. "What gives?"

"Nothing." Carter said, stilling batting the ball in the air as he headed over to the white board, reading every article that would be in the next paper. "Good articles this w-week."

"Mm-hmm." Kelly said, focused on trying to get the sports page to fit together. "Your fall TV review was real good…and I think I'll put your article about the chancellor's welcome back picnic on page 3."

Carter frowned. "Th-th-thought that was page one?"

"We have a new page one…isn't it up on the board?"

Carter looked up, scanning the columns until he came to the one listing the front-page stories. Bypassing the two he already knew would be there, he looked to the third. Glancing over at the title, he felt his heart seize up.

"Pretty weird story, huh? Couldn't happen to a nicer guy, huh?" Kelly laughed. "Hank Delpine has a nervous breakdown. Maybe he was right…there is a God." Se looked over back at her computer, not noticing the stricken look that had crossed Carter's face. "They had to drag him out of the stair well…not sure what made him snap but I hope its permanent." Kelly had never forgiven Hank for the way he had treated the entire paper. He had made a big deal of calling it a Zionist Filth Rag and calling for it to be struck down. And the way he had treated Carter had placed him quickly in her big book of hatred. No one attacked one of her reporters and got away with it.

"Who knows…" Carter whispered.

"What you say?"

"Who knows if it's p-permanent." He said softly. "C-could w-w-wear of."

Kelly swiveled around in her chair. "What do you mean, could wear off?"

Carter froze, realizing that he had just been caught while off in his own dark musings. Backpedaling quickly, he turned back to the board. "Just m-mean he could be ba-ba-back to normal…spring r…r…right back."

"Uh…huh….you sure you are ok?"

"Just f-fine…what else is in the p-paper?" He asked, switching topics quickly.

"Just some reviews…got a new columnist too."

Carter looked down the list of feature columnist, stopping at the new girl. "'The Love Professor. Who's t-that…" Carter began, only to freeze. His hands were glowing again, little wisps of light flowing past him towards…

"I've never noticed how beautiful your eyes are…" Kelly said with a goofy smile.

"Uh…m-maybe I should g-g-g-go…"

Kelly was up from her chair in an instant. "No need…let's talk. You know, you're really smart too…and funny…and good looking…" She continued to slink towards him, hips bouncing back and forth slightly.

'Shit!' Carter thought, backing away from his now enamored friend. Looking at his own traitorous hands, he held one out towards Kelly, who was looking at him with big puppy dog eyes. "Stop." He glanced at his none responsive hands, then back at Kelly.

"Nope…I think me and Cartie Wartie spent some time together.

'Cartie Wartie?' He thought. "Uh…I c-c-command you to st-stop." He said, receiving no response. "C-come on…don't move? No entry…pl-please?"

"Stop playing games and lets make with the snuggles." She said, pressing him into a wall and nuzzling his chest.

'Dear God…come on Carter…think of something…just calm down an…' he paused, noticing his hands flash. 'Calm down?' another flash. 'Calm?' The glow lasted a bit longer. "Kelly…calm."

The effect was instant. Kelly stopped dead, blinking in confusion as the light from his hands entered her body. Glancing up at him from her position, she slowly let go. Carter licked his lips, straightening his shirt.

"Oh God Carter…I'm sorry…I don't know what came over me…" She rambled.

"I do." Carter said.

Kelly raised an eyebrow. "You do?"

"Yea…I came over you."

"…mind repeating that?"


	3. One Giant Leap

"_How do we respond, when we are given a chance to change our fate? Do we lash ourselves to the chance, and weather the storm? Perhaps it is better to merely let it pass, and not take the risk."_

_-Mohinder Suresh_

(Carter Daniels - Flint, Michigan – 8pm – Next Day)

He stood in the middle of his small room, looking down at his hands. His evil, evil hands. The hands that had caused him so much trouble in so little time. Two limbs that had changed everything for him. Bad, bad hands.

Carter stuck his tongue out at them.

His hands didn't react.

'Not like there are alive, dummy.' He thought, scolding himself. 'Well…they are alive…because that would be real creepy if they weren't. Just mean that they don't have minds of their own, because their hands…just like every hand doesn't have minds…' Carter paused. 'who the hell am I talking to?'

Flopping down in his desk chair, he looked over at the open Word program that was currently taunting him. He had a personal essay due, rough draft only, but he doubted his teacher would consider white space as a work-in-progress.

His mind was just to cluttered to try and think about what to write. Right now, his personal life was screwed up, big time, and he wasn't in the mood to set it down on paper. What was he suppose to write, "And during my Senior year, that is when I learned I had some sort of magic power."?

Leaning his head back, he silently wondered if his day could get any worse. Yesterday had been bad, what with learning he'd put Hank Delpine in the funny farm and making Kelly want to plan their wedding. Not to mention running out on her afterwards. But just when he thought things couldn't get worse, God dumped another bag of shit on his head called 'today'.

&&&

(Carter Daniels - Flint, Michigan – 10am)

"And so, I decided to apply the theories of Dr. Chandra Suresh to the workplace, to show just how the environment we work in is changing and evolving…"

Carter rested his head on his arms, trying to catch some seep as another student read of their report for the class. He wasn't in the mood to hear why some Indian Guy's ideas about genetics were perfect to example why some little asshole would work for little pay. No, he was more concerned with the sheep that were currently demanding he stop listening and start counting them.

Feeling someone tap on his shoulder, he decided that if he just laid still, maybe they would think he was dead and whoever it was would let him sleep.

"That is it for today. And remember to read chapter 5! I know I am going to go over all of it, but read it anyway!" Dr. Frey glanced down at Carter, who had not moved from his seat. "Carter, I am oh so thrilled that you want to stay and hear more. But, seriously, move your ass."

"S-sorry Dr. Frey." Carter mumbled, giving his head a little shake as he sat up. "Kinda got c-c-caught n-n-napping, didn't I?"

"Oh yea." Linda said, sitting down on the desktop. "So, you mind telling me why you were using my classroom as your personal bedroom?"

"R-rough week." Carter said simply, moving to put his notebook away. But as he reached for it, Linda's hand caught it, holding it firmly in place.

"Carter…" She said, sighing softly. Closing her eyes, she thought over exactly what she wanted to say. "I….I….listen, is this about Hank?"

"Wh-what??" Carter asked, startled that Linda had figured out what was bothering him so easily.

"I heard about him having his breakdown…his group isn't blaming you for it, are they?"

"W-why would they blame me?" Carter asked.

Dr. Frey shrugged. "Seems like they blame you for everything. I can only imagine how they could spin it to make it your fault."

"oh." The young man whispered.

"Just…if they begin bothering you…"

"I…I'll be ok, dr. Frey. Listen, I have to get to class…"

"Oh yea…go, go. Wouldn't want to impede on higher learning and all that other cliché junk." She gave Carter a final pat on the shoulder, watching as he ran off. "Just be careful, ok?" She whispered to herself.

&&&

Carter didn't take the stairs today.

Carter didn't know if he could ever take the stairs again.

Pressing the close button, he silently cursed himself for not waiting for another elevator to show up. The one he currently stood in was the handicap elevator, designed with slower doors that drove the non-handicapped students insane. At least he wasn't riding with some idiot that wanted to take the elevator one floor and get off.

"WAIT!"

Carter closed his eyes, leaning his head against the control panel as he debated whether or not to ignore the call and just get on his way. He had class in ten.

"Thank you." The student said, stepping into the elevator. "Number 3 please." Squeezing his eyes shut, Carter pressed the button, wondering as the doors slide shut if his day could get any… "Trying to run away from me, Carter?"

…worse.

"H-hey Kelly."

Kelly Raegan smirked, leaning against a wall. "Hello yourself…you know, it isn't wise to run out on your editor like you did yesterday without explaining things. They tend not to like that." She walked over and hit the manual stop button, halting the elevator in place. "Especially when you somehow make her forget that she's gay and get her to cuddle all up to you."

"I-I-I don't know…"

"Can it." Kelly interrupted. "Carter…you were able to make me feel….I don't even know how to describe it! You just somehow were able to alter my emotions with a word. How did you…"

"I don't kn-know." He stammered. "I w-wish I kn-kn-knew. But I don't, Kelly. I have n-n-n-n-n….n-n-n-n….n-n-n-no clue." He finally managed to get out. "I say a word like lo…" They both froze, watching his hands flare up with the bright light, tendrils of energy squirming towards Kelly. "You know, the l-word…" The glow died away, leaving his hands back to their normal fleshing tone. "and they just act up like that! I can't c-control it or anything! They just begin lighting up, and then people begin acting st-strangely…I didn't mean too…"

"I'm not upset."

"…you're not?"

"How could I be upset!" She exclaimed. "Do you realize how cool this is? You have magic, Carter! Real life magic! I mean…oh my God, you were the one that did that to Hank, weren't you! You cast come kind of spell that made him go nuts!" Kelly was practically vibrating with happiness.

Carter wasn't as excited.

"I don't think it's m-magic…." He began.

"Ok, maybe it's something else." Kelly said, waving her hands in front of her. "Maybe some sort of…I don't know… superpower or something. Though, I really think it was magic. I mean, it looked very Harry Potterish to me, what with the glowing hands and all. Very Hogwarts, without the wands."

"I was th-there, Kelly. Know what it looks like…" Carter said, inching his hand towards the Stop button. Kelly's hand darted out, catching his wrist. "C-c-come on…"

"Carter, listen to me, ok? Why are you acting so paranoid? Do you not realize how amazing this is? You have something most people dream of!"

Carter frowned, frustrated. "W-what? Something that m-m-makes me a fr….fr….freak?"

It was now Kelly's turn to frown. "What do you mean…that isn't that how you see yourself, is it?" She walked up to him, gently taking a hold of Carter by the shoulders. "Oh Carter…you're not a freak. The opposite…you have an amazing gift. I don't even understand what you did really did, but I do know you somehow gained this power that no one in the whole WORLD has. I know you are afraid…I would be too. But you have the chance to do some real good."

"Y-yea…r-r-r-r-right."

"I'm serious. Have you tried practicing? Seeing if you can control it? Change the strength? If you could hone it just right…

Carter pushed her hands from his shoulders. "I don't w-want to pr-practice! I don't want to I just want to be n-n-normal!"

"Carter…you have a chance to make a difference. This power, you could do so much with it. Don't just sit on it forever because you are scared. Do something…anything Carter." She hit the Stop button, letting the elevator continue its descent at last. After a moment, the doors slide open, revealing the 2nd floor. "Because Carter…normal is overrated." And with that, she left him to think about what she had said.

&&&

(Carter Daniels - Flint, Michigan – 8pm)

Carter lifted himself from his chair, making his way over to the large full body mirror that hung on his wall. Looking himself over, fingers grazing his chest, Kelly's words echoed in his ears.

'All my life, I've been afraid to act. Afraid to live the way I wanted.' He looked at his mirror image and scowled. 'And all my life, I've been trapped in this damn shell. I can't talk right, I can't do what I want…because I'm such a damn coward!' He lashed out, striking the mirror. "DAMN IT!" He screamed, clutching his bruised fist. "That usually w-w-works in the movies." He whined.

Allowing himself a moment to recover, he looked back at his own crotched self in the mirror, disgusted by how he looked. At least his mirror image was something that hadn't changed.

"No wonder Hank use to b-b-bully you…you were begging for it." He bitterly told himself. "Maybe if y-y-you actually had some con…" He paused.

His hand had begun to glow.

Slowly, Carter Daniels looked up from his hand to his own eyes that reflected right back to him. Once more, he thought of everything Kelly had told him, about how he should see this as the opportunity to change his life.

Standing before the mirror, he held out his hand, the light dancing on his fingertips.

"_But should we take the risk, should we be willing to go beyond normal…then we must be ready to accept the consequences."_

_-Mohinder Suresh_

Carter narrowed his eyes. "Courage."

Author's Note: The final scene was one of the very first scenes I had in mind when I created Carter, so I am glad I got to write it. I know some of you might be worried that I am going to use this plot twist to make Carter into some Super Marty Sue. Don't worry…I have a lot planned, and this isn't going to be smooth sailing for our hero. Just like the show, Carter is going to have to face some of his demons.


	4. Colision

"We must ask ourselves, are the actions we take worth the price we must pay? For there is always a price. For every step that is taken forward, something must be left behind. For every gift…something must be sacrificed.

Is the price worth the prize?"

-Mohinder Suresh

Kelly Raegan flicked on her computer, watching as the dreaded Mac powered up. She had begged for them to get PCs, but noooo! Her fellow editors thought that Macs were so much better and would make their jobs easier. There was no way that it would turn out to be a useless thing that would shutdown at random times and not save her work when she needed it too.

'Think Isucky.'

Moving to get the coffee going for all the mooching reporters that would be in for their free caffeine fix, Kelly let herself focus on other thoughts.

'I know someone who has magic.' She thought to herself, a stupid grin crossing her face. 'I know a spellcaster…a freaking wizard!' Resisting the urge to squeal in pure delight, Kelly practically skipped over to her desk. 'God…I wonder what else he can do? Can he alter anything else? How strong are his powers?'

Kelly looked over and noticed that her computer was frozen.

"Maybe Carter can blast you into pieces." She grumbled.

"What do you want blasted?"

"Carter!" Kelly exclaimed, whipping around to face her friend. She looked him over, a bit startled. Carter Daniels was leaning in the doorway, happily chewing on an apple. His hair was swept back out of his face, eyes flickering with amusement as he ate his breakfast. While he normally would wear a loose t-shirt and whatever pants he could find, the young man had gone a totally different route today.

A tight gray shirt covered his chest, highlighting muscles Kelly didn't know Carter had. His jeans were also form fitting, crisp and clean. Topping off the entire outfit was an open, brown corduroy blazer. The coat might have looked wrong one someone else, but when Carter wore it the jacket just seemed to fit perfectly. Not quite ivy league, not quite rebel slacker. Somewhere in-between. Somewhere, had Miss Raegan not been into girls, very yummy.

"You…you look different."

"Feel different too." He said, tossing the apple core in the garbage and gliding into the room. "You ever have one of those mornings where you wake up and are ready to tackle the new day? I know, I know, it's really cliché. But still, when I got out of bed this morning, I felt like a man reborn anew!" He grinned. "Helps that I am."

"That you are?" Kelly asked. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Didn't I just say I was feeling alright?" He asked, plopping down on the couch. "I tell you, I've never been so happy."

"Uh…Carter?" Kelly said with a soft grin. "I am happy that you feel that way…infact I'm happy about a lot of things…I think you kinda…" She pointed to his right hand, the tips of his fingers glowing.

"Oops." He laughed. "Still haven't learned how to control these things. Calm." Another flash of energy, and Kelly felt her face slowly return to normal. "I really need to find some way to practice with that."

Kelly gave him a perplexed look. "You…seem a lot more accepting of things then you were yesterday."

Carter rolled his eyes. "Tell me about it. God, I was acting like a moron…if I act like that again, just smack me around alittle, ok?"

"Ooookkkk…you are dressed differently, you are acting differently…you aren't even stuttering. Who are you and what the hell did you do with Carter Daniels?"

Carter couldn't help but laugh at Kelly's obvious confusion. "Oh, I'm still Carter, just version 2.0. Now with less errors and a much…much better speech function. Do you realize how hard it is to be trapped in a body that doesn't want to behave like you want it too?" He began to laugh a bit harder. "God, I'm finally free. Finally able to express myself the way I want, baby!" Leaping at once to his feet, Carter began to spin around in unadulterated joy.

"How?" Kelly asked.

"How?" Carter echoed. "I thought you of all people would know…you practically suggested it."

"I…" She paused, her eyes lowering to the young man's hands. "Carter…did you…"

"Use this little gift of mine on myself? You bet your gay ass I did!" He chuckled, glancing over his shoulder at her. "And may I say, what an ass…"

"Carter!" Kelly exclaimed in surprise.

"Oh, come on, you were lusting after…calm….it yesterday?" His waved his hand in the air, watching with mild interest as Kelly's eyes flickered from horny to annoyed. "Don't blame me, blame the hands."

"I do blame them…and blame you." Kelly stated. "Seriously Carter, what the hell did you do to yourself to turn you into…" She waved her hands at his general form. "This."

Carter shrugged, moving to the center of the room and taking a boxer's stance. "All I did was stare the old me in the eye…literally, I had to do my magic into a mirror to make it affect me….and gave it a couple of jabs!" He began to shadow box, handsglowing as he spoke. "A courage to the right, calm. A quick upper cut with some confidence, calm. Bing bang boom, old me is out for the count!"

"Just like me!" Kelly cried, gripping onto the couch's arm. Carter hadn't been watching, but each time he had used his powers, Kelly had been hit. And after five total emotional punches, she was reeling almost as much as she would if she had really been punched. "Carter…please…don't say another…emotion."

Carter glanced over at her. "You ok?" He asked, knelling down next to her.

"No…you whammied real good."

"Geez…I'm sorry…I just didn't…"

"Notice?" Kelly asked. "I noticed…no pun intended."

The young man frowned, stroking her back. "I really mean it…I should have been paying attention. I was just too…"

"Self occupied?" Kelly asked. At his sheepish smile, the editor shook her head, and with lightning quick speed, she gripped his face in her hand.. "Look…I'm only going to say this once, ok? Number One…don't do that punching thing again, ok? Second, I don't want you thinking that I am coming down on you or anything, because I'm not. I just want to make sure you understand something, ok?" She forced Carter's head to move up and down.

"Now, I am thrilled that you are enjoying your new…personality. If anyone deserves this chance, it's you Carter. That said…don't over do it, ok?" She smiled. "A lot of us already like you. No need to go making yourself completely different. There are qualities of the old Carter that I likes, and I don't want see them gone. I don't need Carter Daniels 2.0…just 1.5. Ok?"

"O-a." Carter managed to get out through his squished face. Kelly giggled and let him go, the young man straightening his coat. "Don't worry Kelly…I'm still me. Just now with a new lease on life." He walked over to door, picking up his bookbag. "Listen, I've got to get to class. Want to see the teachers' faces when I wow them with my intelligence. I'll see you later, alright?"

"Yea." Kelly said, watching her friend leave. 'Why do I get the feeling that everything I just told you went over your head, Carter?' She moved back to hr desk. 'Just don't soar too high, Icarus. The final drop will be a doozy.'

&&&

(Southwestern Airlines flight: Houston to Las Vegas, 9 pm)

The man set down his drink; looking over the documents his associate had given him. The information was interesting, to say the least.

"So the boy has been released?"

"Yes." The African American man said. "He snapped out of it this morning. Seems there is a time limit on how long they are affected."

"For now." The older man said. "What did he tell you?"

The black man pulled out another sheet, reading it verbatim. "While under the command, he continued to repeat the same thing, "Stay away." When the Haitian dug deeper, he was able to get the rest of the sentence: "Stay Away Carter.""

"So this Carter …we are sure it's him?"

"Positive."

"…he was able to make this young man fear him, just by commanding him too?"

"That is what the reports show, sir." He handed the older man another sheet. "This is all the information on Carter Daniels. Interesting kid…suffers from low self-esteem, fears of talking in public, your average shy quiet kid."

"Always the quiet ones you have to watch out for." The older man took a sip of his cola. "I assume that we are placing him at P Class?"

The African American man shook his head. "No sir, I believe not."

"Is he that advanced that he is already M Class?"

"Unfortunatly…no."

"R Class then?"

"That…is not what I suggest."

The older man sighed, shoving the file away from him. "Then what class do you suggest? He must have some potential."

"Too much…sir…" The younger man lowered his voice. "It is in my opinion that Carter Daniels…be classified as an…A Class."

The older man's glass cracked in his hand, fractures appearing in the plastic.

"An A Class…there is only one other known A Class…are you suggesting Carter Daniels posses the same threat as Dr. Suresh's so called Patient Zero?"

The black man nodded. "Yes sir. Think about it…if he can master his power, he could issue a command over network television, radio…he might even be able to send a wave of energy around the earth by himself. Imagine…a being that could command us all to be loyal with just a thought. We'd have no defense against it."

"…" The older man looked down at the file once more.

"I know what it would mean doing this, Sir. But we have no choice. We either deal with him now, or have a global threat on our hands."

The older man nodded, "I understand, Terrence." He adjusted his horn-rimmed glasses, then picked up the pen and filled out the final blank on the file:

Subject: Carter Daniels

Age: 22

Power: Emotion Manipulation

Class: Potential/Armageddon

And with that, Mr. Bennet sealed Carter's fate.

&&&

Author's Notes: The Classes are of my own creation, designed to show just how a super-powered being ranks. The current ones shown in this chapter are:

P Class- Potential: A super whose powers are just beginning to show, and shows the chance of becoming stronger.

M Class- Manipulator: Super whose powers are designed to allow them to control or manipulate certain things. Hiro could be considered an M Class Hero.

R Class- Rogue Class: Super who, because of personality or powers, would be difficult to control by Mr. Bennet. Also counts for any hero that is currently using their powers activate. Niki could be considered an R Class

A Class- Armageddon: A super whose powers could be used to cause a global disaster and would be near impossible to apprehend, let alone control. Currently one active A Class (Sylar) and one potential A Class (Carter Daniels). Other characters like Hiro could also become A Class Supers.

As the story goes on, you will learn more of the Classes.


	5. Hiros

"Evolution teaches us that all things can be traced to the same simple cell. How we all came to be, and how there is so much diversity then? It is because there is a moment, when two specimens of the same species take separate paths. One goes to land, the other water, and we have elephants and sharks. Despite how much they might have resembled one another at some point, in the end they become two separate entities all together."

-Mohinder Suresh

Dr. Linda Frey tried to keep her emotions on the positive side as she worked to figure out how to turn on the SmartCart system. The school had decided that it was time to drag the faculty into the 21st century, be it even by kicking and screaming. As such, each classroom on campus now has a SmartCart, which included a TV projector, overhead projector and computer.

Personally, Linda liked the cart; she just wished she could figure out how to get the damn thing from being on overhead projection to computer projection. She was a Com teacher, not a technician!

"Want me to give it a try, Dr. Frey?"

Linda looked up in surprise, nearly banging her head on the top of the inner cabinet. "Carter?" She questioned, looking up at the young man she knew so well. However, every molecule of her being was screaming that this wasn't the normal Carter she knew.

Her Carter wore baggy shirts and had his hair in his eyes. Her Carter stuttered, and liked to stay in the shadows like a good little wall flower. Her Carter sure didn't stand up and volunteer to help with anything while the whole class watched!

But this Carter, dressed in a purple velour pullover, hair spent back, did not act like the Carter Dr. Frey knew. No, this one was smiling at her, arms crossed, amusement written plainly in his eyes. Most startling was the fact that he could get a full sentence out without tripping up.

Not that Linda would draw attention to the fact.

"Carter! You didn't stutter!"

On the other hand…

Carter laughed. A deep, rolling belly laugh that had him nearly doubled over. Linda, as well as the rest of the class, could only watch as he clutched the table to his left. He took a few steady breaths, calming his nerves before looking over at his professor.

"That I did. Mind if I try?" Not waiting for an answer, Carter gently pushed Dr. Frey away from the SmartCart, getting down on his knees and fiddling with some of the switches.

"Carter…w-what…"

"Now you sound like I use to." Carter said, pressing a small button on the remote. Instantly, the image being protected on the big white screen shifted to the startup page on Windows. "There you go, Dr. Frey."

"Y-Yea…thank Carter." Linda managed to say as the young man strutted back to his desk, leaning back in his chair. She had the feeling Carter was resisting the urge to kick his feet up and relax.

"Your welcome." Carter said with a smirk. "Now, let's get this class underway, huh?"

&&&

"Just one more stroke…" The man thought, sticking his tongue out as he moved his ink pen towards the large sheet of heavy paper he was working on. Using one hand to adjust the overhead light, he carefully lined up the ink pen with the previous pencil line he had drawn…

"Lee!"

The man, startled, jerked forward, the pen skittering across the surface of the poster he had been working on.

"Lee, are you not done yet?"

(Lee Malion- Boston, Massachusetts)

Looking up at his boss, the younger man grimaced slightly as he tried to move and hide the error that even now was permanently staining itself to the poster surface. The last thing he needed was his boss finding out he had ruined another poster.

Lee Malion was a graphic artist, and his look fit his profession to a T. He was strikingly thin, with pronounced cheekbones and long wiry fingers. All the better for him to grasp a brush or pen, and dexterous enough to suit his needs. He was wearing a dirty, stretched out white shirt and a pair of khakis. His black hair was spiked up, the tips done in a metallic purple, and he had several piercings, not all in his ears.

"Just…about." Lee muttered, looking at the poster he had been working on. The graphics company he worked for had been commissioned to do up some promotional art for some grunge band, and Lee had been assigned the job. It was simple work really: Draw some evil looking junkyard dog growling and baring its fangs. The image would be scanned, and someone else would add the type and the background. An hour job, at most.

That was 2 days ago.

For some reason, the young artist just couldn't settle on a design he liked. Each one just didn't meet his taste, forcing him to start over again and again. It was driving him nuts, but in the end it had been worth it. The picture he'd drawn this time was perfect.

That is, until his boss had walked in. Now, the perfect junk yard dog had a perfect black line running up its brow, from eye to barely past the line that marking out the top of its head.

"I was." Lee muttered, running a hand along the sparse hair that covered the very tip f his chin. "Now…not some much, huh?"

His boss looked over his shoulder, shaking his head. "What? Looks, fine to me. Come on, we have a deadline!"

"There is a mark…I have to do it over…"

"We can have the computer guys fix it." His boss said simply, moving to snatch the poster off the desk.

Lee was too quick though, catching his boss' wrist just before his fingers could come in contact with the poster board. "What do you mean, have the computer guys fix it? I'm not turning this over to the tech guys!"

"Yes you are." His boss said, struggling out of his grip. "This company isn't going to lose this contract just because your ego won't let you have other people help on a project. Now sign the poster and hand it over."

"My ego!?! This isn't about my ego! This is about me trying to do this perfect…"

"Nothing is perfect, Lee. Not even you. Now, sign the poster."

"No."

His boss shrugged, snatching the poster off the desk. "We have your signature in the computer anyway, I'll have them fix that line, then add your signature." Lee glared at him, moving to grab back the poster, but his boss shot him a glare. "Lee…let it go." Moving towards the door, he looked back at the graphic artist. "Touch me again, and I'll have you designing Happy Meal Bags, got me Lee?"

Lee nodded after a moment, his glare never wavering as his boss left.

&&&

(Carter Daniels- Flint, Michigan)

Rolling his neck, Carter tried to pay attention to what Dr. Frey was saying. She was talking about Theory X, Y and Z, and how they affected the working environment. But for some reason, Carter just couldn't concentrate.

Every time he lowered his head to begin taking notes, he swore that someone was watching him. He knew it was silly, but even if they were watching him, why should it matter. Probably just some hottie finally noticing how good looking he was.

'Or how you're a freak'

Carter raised an eyebrow.

'Where the hell did that come from?' He thought. No one thought he was a different. Not at all. 'Well, they might. But for the better, anyway. New and improved, just released for the first time, Special Edition, ribbed for her pleasure Carter Daniels. Supplies are limited.' He chuckled silently. 'No one things you're a freak, even if you are…stop that!' Shaking his head back and forth, the student tried hard to get back on task.

"Do you disagree with me Carter?" Dr. Frey asked.

"Huh?" Carter replied, looking up stupidly.

"You were shaking your head when I was talking about Theory Z. Do you not agree that it came from Japan? Because if you do, I think there are some Japanese guys that are going to be mad with you."

The class laughed at that, and Carter shrank down in his seat just a little, before remembering that he was Improved Carter. There was no reason to be nervous. 'Especially since I saw to it that I don't anymore!'

"No professor, not disagreeing with that." Carter stated. "Just wondering if you were going to go into more detail about Theory Z?"

Linda was intrigued. She had been just about ready to quiet the class down, knowing how Carter didn't like being the center of attention. And he really didn't like being the butt of a joke. But, from all appearances, he was perfectly fine at the moment. Deciding to seize an opportunity when it appeared, Linda pressed on.

"What sort of detail, Carter?"

Carter smirked. "Well, you were talking about how Theory Z is a combination of Theory X and Theory Y. But it's more then that. I mean, it also has a large part in giving broad tasks with overt freedom for the team. In Theory Z, a task is assigned, like make a new computer chip, and the team is told when to do it. That's all. And then they get to together and do it. And they almost always end up going beyond what was s-suspected."

Freezing mid thought, Carters eyes went wide.

"Carter?"

"Sorry…just…lost my trait of thought." He said simply. "Anyway, by allowing a t…t…t…" Carter slowly grew frightened, struggling to finish the sentence. "…team, to d…d…" He gulped, glancing to his right towards a few students near him. They all looked impatient, wondering why he didn't hurry up…why he was taking so long…why he was so stupid… "I…I have t-t-to go!" Carter cried out, snatching up his bag and notebook and hightailing it out of the room.

"Carter!" Dr. Frey shouted, rushing to the door only to find him nowhere in sight. "Carter…"

&&&

"What the hell is w-w-w-wrong with you!?!" Carter exclaimed. He was in the stairwell, seated on a landing. "You're n-n-not like this anymore! You f-f-f-f-fixed it…" He hung his head, grabbing at his scalp and painfully tugging at his hair. "You're n-n-n-n-n-not like this anym…m…m…more!"

Squeezing his eyes shut, he could feel the hot tears burning behind his eyes. He had been normal…he had been like everyone else. And now, it was being taken away from him. Why? He'd changed, and for some reason all the implanted emotions he'd given himself were fading away.

His mind flashed to a story he'd read in high school, _'Flowers for Algernon'. _In it, a near retarded man had been given extreme intelligence, only to go back to what he had once been. Carter had never really understood the torture that man went through…until now.

"What's wrong Carter?" Looking up, Carter couldn't do anything as the fist buried itself in his jaw, knocking him into the stairs. "Seems your upset." Carter groaned as Hank Delpine and a few of his bible-thumping cronies walked towards him. "Let me guess…you had missed me while I was away. Grab him."

The two other guys grabbed Carter, hauling him to his feet and restraining him. Hank looked him over before delivering a vicious punch to the gut, Carter letting out a cry.

"Tell me something Carter…the only thing I remember, before waking up in that loony bin, was coming to see you. Then…nothing." Hank grabbed Carter by the chin and dragged his face up to stare at his own. " Something tells me we didn't sit around and have a prayer circle. You've never been one to pray, have ya Carter." Another punch, right to his face. "Well, I imagine you are praying right now. God won't answer though…he doesn't answer prayers from people like you." Hank's knee came up swiftly, driving up into Carter's groin and making the young man bellow in agony. Hank began to rain blows down on the restrained young man, his voice never wavering. "So tell me Carter…what happened here on Monday? What did you do to me, huh? Drugs?" Hank punched him once more in the gut. "Come on Carter…you have to have something to say."

Carter slowly looked up, something in his brain finally snapping into place.

"Oh yea…" He whispered, hands beginning to glow. "I've got something to say, Hank."

&&&

"What do you mean, you haven't seen him?" Linda Frey asked.

Kelly looked around the office, a bit nervous. "He never showed up for class…Carter always shows up for class. That's why I came to see if he was talking to you."

"Maybe he just went off to think…he got real nervous in class today…"

"Nervous…Carter?" Kelly asked, surprised. "You're sure?"

"Yea." Linda said. "He was acting all funny…then he suddenly went all Carter-like, you know?"

"Carter…"

"Dr. Frey!" The two women turned to see a young man standing in the doorway of Linda Frey's office. He looked to be in a panic, and was out of breath. "Carter Daniels was found in the stairwell…he doesn't look good."

"Carter…" Kelly whispered, before taking off for the stairwell. Fast on her heels, Linda joined her, the two women leaving the Com department and heading for the stairs.

As they entered they entered the area, they were shocked to find paramedics all over. Two of them were carrying one of Hank's friends, the young man babbling in fright. Another paramedic was giving Hank a sedative, while the third in the group was being forced to lay on a stretcher, the man screaming.

And there, in the middle of the landing, laid Carter, his battered body limp. His head was towards them, curling towards his chest slightly, his arms sticking straight out. His legs twisted the other way, one sticking straight back, the other following the opposite curve of his head.

"Carter!" Kelly screamed, leaping down the last few steps and rushing as the medics to cradle her friend's head in her lap. "Carter…oh God…"

"K-Kelly…" Carter whispered.

"Carter...I'm here…"

"…what's happening to me?"

Coming in the Following Weeks

(Description Written to Howard Shore's '_Requiem of a Dream remix')_

As the Heroes come together, one has been left behind, to fend for himself.

(Shot of Carter laying in the stairwell, his body twisted into the Helix Symbol)

When evil comes searching for him, he will learn that he can not stand alone.

(We see Carter in a parking garage, Mr. Bennet holding a gun on him)

In order to survive, in order to fulfill his fate, he will need to turn to those he will one day protect.

(We see shots of Kelly and Linda.)

For evil…is also evolving

(We see Lee Malion staring around his apartment, drawings of monsters, demons, and other figures all over the walls. His eyes glow for a moment, and the papers begin to shake.)

For Carter Daniels, everything is about to change. But before it all ends, before Carter can learn his true potential…

(We see Carter and Kelly leaping off a bridge, diving into a river)

…he will need to learn the truth of his family.

(We see Carter looking through a file, growing pale.)

Bennet: He can never know…never. If he ever learns about this..he will come after us…and nothing will be able to stop him.

(We cut to Lee looking down at the city)

Lee: This..is my hour.

(We cut to Carter)

Carter: Not if I can do anything about it.

(Carter let's out a scream, hands glowing as he tacking someone and everything goes black)

Elsewhere

"Everything is connected"


	6. Better Halves

"_Evolution is not merely a straight path. It is one filled with detours and branches. As one moves along, there are many chances for a being to chose the wrong path. And when they do, they must fight to return to the true path…"_

_-Mohinder Suresh_

(Lee Malion- Boston)

"Malion, what the heck are you doing in today? It's your day off, ain't it?"

Lee chuckled softly, rubbing his right hand against his other arm. "Yea…guess I just can't stay away from this place."

"…ok, what's the real reason?"

"Could never get one past you, could I Joe?" Lee told the security guard. "I left some art supplies up in my office and I had wanted to do some drawing today…you know, got this idea for a poster, and I can't just using a pad of paper…need to see it actual size and all…"

"Lee." Joe interrupted. The guard shook his head, a slight smile forming on his lips. "Do you really think I am going to let you steal that poster back?" Lee stared at him, startled. "Oh knock it off! Bobby told me how you left here all down yesterday, and that only happens when you get a piece taken from ya."

"Joe…please." Lee said, bouncing on his heels. "I know I can do a new one, better then what the boss has! Just let me go up there…"

Joe shook his head. "Would be real stupid of me if I did something like that, wouldn't? You know, _my_ bosses would have my ass if I just let you go rummaging through other people's desks."

Lee sighed. "I know…I don't want you to get in trouble." Turning to leave, the artist had only gotten a step before he felt a strong arm grasp his shoulder.

"But…if I were to go investigate the floors…heard some strange noises and all that…well, they really couldn't blame me. And I can stop you if you want to tag along."

Lee's eyes widened as the older man, lifted himself from his chair with a groan. Joe was already hanging the sign letting everyone know he would be gone for a few minutes. Locking down his station, he looked over at the punk artist.

"You comin' or what?"

Lee grinned, hurrying after the guard and into the elevator.

&&&

(Carter Daniels- Flint)

"Carter…Carter, can you hear me? Say something…"

"Get…the catheter…out of me." Carter groaned, shifting slightly. "W-where am I?"

"You're at the hospital." The voice, which Carter identified now as his mother, Helena Daniels, said softly. "You gave us quite a scare."

Carter let out another groan. It felt like his head was full of rocks, and they kept rolling around and bashing into his skull. Every breath ached just a bit too much, and considering he was still having problems seeing, he wasn't surprised that he was in the hospital.

"W-what…what happened m-m-mom?"

Helena frowned. "Their not sure. They think those boys were beating you up in the stairwell…from the way they were acting, it looks like they have some mental problems and were taking it out on you."

Carter frowned, mulling that thought in his head, when a sudden burst of memory hit him.

&&&

_(The Day before)_

"_So tell me Carter…what happened here on Monday? What did you do to me, huh? Drugs?" Hank punched him once more in the gut. "Come on Carter…you have to have something to say."_

_Carter slowly looked up, something in his brain finally snapping into place._

"_Oh yea…" He whispered, hands beginning to glow. "I've got something to say, Hank." _

"_What the hell…" Hank whispered, eyes glued to Carter's hands._

"_PANIC!" The young man shouted, the energy burst from his fingers and impacting the two men holding him in place. The result was instantaneous. Both were down on the floor, quivering in fear as Carter's suggestion took root. Snapping his head up, Carter held out his hands and focused on Hank. "You c-could just leave me a-a-alone, c-c-could you?"_

"_What the hell…" Hank repeated. "What did you do to them?"_

"_What's wrong Hank?" Carter asked. "Feeling scared?" He couldn't help but grin as Hank began to tremble, the energy slowly pouring into him. "Frightened? Terrified?" He turned towards the two that had been holding him. "They s-sure seem sc-scared!" _

_Instead his mind, a little voice screamed for him to stop. But the last remains of the more confident Carter demanded one final act, one final strike at those that had bullied him. _

"_Please…" Hank whispered, covering his head. "Don't…"_

"_Funny…you said the same th-th-thing a few days ago…and yet…" Carter held out his hands again, watching the glow. "Did you st-st-st-st…st-stop?" He finally managed to get out. "NO! You instead wanted me to fear you even more!" More energy shot from him. "Well, no m-m-more…" The little voice screamed, warning that they were pushing it too far. "Now…you're the ones that g-g-g-get to panic!" _

_The stairwell lit up like a Christmas tree, bathing the three men with the suggestive energy. Each began to cry out, begging for mercy._

_But Carter didn't hear them._

_HE didn't hear anything._

_All he could feel was a heaviness. His body, weighed down. His head lowered and watched the light from his hands snuff out like candles, before darkness overtook his body and the last of the artificial feelings he'd given himself faded._

_The little voice screamed, "I told you so."_

&&&

"Carter?" Helena said softly. "Are you ok?"

Carter closed his eyes, trying to shut out the memories of what he had done. "Y-yea." He lied. "Just f-f-fine."

"I see the patient is awake." A doctor said as he entered the room. "I'm Dr. Malone. Now that you are awake, I wanted to see if I could ask some questions about what happened yesterday."

Carter frowned. "I…I don't know."

"You don't know if I can ask the questions?"

"No…" Carter said, ignoring the bad joke. "I…I don't re..remember…anything…about yesterday."

Dr. Malone sighed. "I feared as much. The trauma must have caused you to repress the memory…a shame, but little can be done about it."

"Is there anything else?" Helena asked.

"Yes…on Carter's medical history, much of the information was left out about his parents…"

Helena smiled softly. "If you are asking if Carter was adopted, then yes, he was. That information is what little we know about them."

Dr. Malone nodded. "I thought so. Well Carter, the good news is that you will recover just fine. Infact, we are thinking of releasing you tomorrow, if you are ok with that?"

Helena frowned. "So soon…his ribs…"

"Are merely bruised, and are a lot better from what they were yesterday. You're a lucky kid, Carter. It could have been a lot worse." Dr. Malone looked through the chart. "Mrs. Daniels, would you mind if we discussed your insurance policy right now…the hospital wasn't for sure what was covered."

"OF course…" Helena turned to her son. "You rest up Carter, ok? I'll be back in a little while."

"…Sure mom." Carter said softly, watching as his mother and the doctor left him with his thoughts.

&&&

(Lee Malion-Boston)

"Why are these offices so creepy?" Joe asked, the two of them walking towards Lee's boss' office. Just as he had promised, Lee had been able to draw a brand new poster in 10 minutes, this time without any errors. He would have still liked to make a few changes, but knew that it would be pushing it. His boss had seen the poster, and any design changes other then the no making the little line error would draw to much attention to himself.

"Just the low lights." Lee said.

"I hate working in these old buildings…always giving me the willies."

"The willies?"

"Shuddup." Joe snapped. "Let's just get this…"

Both men froze as they heard a low snarling noise echoing from the shadows in front of them.

"What was that?" Lee whispered.

"I don't know…damn old buildings, you think maybe we just…"

An ear-piercing howl filled the floor.

"No." Lee said. "We didn't just hear something…come on, let's just get the poster and go."

"And let some beast tear up the place…" Joe pulled out his gun. "No way in hell. Come on, Lee…let's go."

Lee frowned as the two of them crept towards the strange noises. "Said the man with the gun. What am I suppose to do, hit the monster with my poster?"

"Don't call it a monster!" Joe hissed. "You'll get me all jumpy."

"We're walking towards something that growls and roars and you want me to believe that it isn't a monster?"

"Stop calling…" Joe stood ramrod still, Lee looking over his shoulder. IN the darkness, Lee could just make out his boss' office, the torn off its hinges. And standing in the doorway, something with glowing yellow eyes stared at them. "SHIT!" Joe screamed, opening fire. 3 shots rang out, followed by a pain-filled yelp…then silence.

"What…" Lee whispered.

Joe walked towards the fallen form, frowning. "It's a dog." He said simply. "A big, ugly dog.." Bringing his gun up, Joe fired a shot right into the animal's skull. "Stay here, will yea…I'll radio for animal control to pick the body up." Before Lee could protest, the guard was gone, leaving him with the body.

Looking down at the creature, Lee couldn't help but stare at the animal…something wasn't right about it. The head and upper body were too big, the back too small. Its teeth were huge, and its jowls were almost comically disproportional. That, and the yellow eye…

"No…no way…" Lee whispered, leaning down and running his hand along the dead dog's forehead. "this…" Running straight up from the dog's eye was a hard, thin black object. It was unnatural, as if someone had inserted it.

Before he could even process what he was seeing, the dog's body began to shake, making the punk artist leap back. But the dog was not waking up. No, it was twisting…flattening…

"…_before they are unable to change their path, and find themselves lost forever."_

_-Mohinder Suresh_

…into the poster Lee had drawn yesterday.

Lee's jaw dropped. "Holy s…"


	7. Nothing To Hide

Author's Note: I don't not own the show Heroes, or any characters created by the program. I do not own the rights to any of the books described in this chapter. I am the creator of all Original Characters and the Heroes Class System (HCS)

(Carter Daniels- Flint)

"C-c-c-come to visit the enf-f-feebled?"

Kelly Raegan shook her head, slipping into the hospital room and letting the door swing slowly shut behind her. Arms loaded with bags, the young woman moved to one of the standard hospital chairs, glaring at it with distaste.

"Can I borrow a pillow?"

Carter frowned. "Why?"

"The chair is hard."

"So is the b-b-bed."

"You don't need two pillows!"

Carter held up his hand. "Really want to m-m-mess with a man that c-c-c-can make you feel what he w-w-w-w-wants you too?" Carter looked up towards the ceiling, his voice growing quiet. "Already put three people in the n-n-n-n-n…n-n-nutty house."

Kelly reached out, taking Carter's hand in her own. "It wasn't your fault…" She pressed a finger to Carter's lips. "Let me finish, will you for once? For someone so shy, you get awfully gabby." Carter managed to smile slightly at that, letting Kelly continue. "They could have killed you. You had to defend yourself. IS Harry Potter a bad person if he uses his powers to kill Voldemort?"

"Did Harry Potter make Voldemort wet himself by sca…" He paused, watching as energy slowly began to slip through Kelly's closed fingers. "you know." He muttered, sighing with relief as his hand stopped its lightshow.

"Not quite for sure…the book never really said one way or another." Kelly joked. She grew somber the next moment, though. "Seriously Carter…those guys deserved it."

"Maybe…but was it r-r-right?"

"Huh?"

"Is it right of me to pl…pl…play with other people's emotions? Is it right of m-m-m-me to play with my own?" Carter questioned.

Kelly didn't have an answer for that one. The ethics of whether someone with Carter's apparent magical power could…or should…use them to alter people's emotions was well over her head. Even if it wasn't, it wasn't for her to decide. It was Carter that had to make that decision, him and him alone.

But, on the topic of using them on himself…

"I think you should hit yourself again."

"…w-what? Could you re…re…repeat that again…I think I had some cr-cr-cr-crazy in my ear." He paused, looking at his hand. "Crazy isn't an emotion…g-g-good to know."

Kelly gave his hand a squeeze, giving him a gentle smile. "Carter…I…I really think you should use your powers on yourself again."

"Kelly…I c-c-c-can't…"

"Yes, you can." She said firmly. "Carter, I saw what you were like these last few days. You were happy. You were willing to live life. Yes, you were a bit…" She smiled as he squirmed. "…intense. But I think that if you just toned down how much of your power you used…" She sighed. "I just think you should think about it, ok? You aren't going to loss these powers anytime soon. You're going to need to learn how to control them…what better way then to train on yourself?"

Carter shifted uneasily in the bed. "But…wh-what if I…go to far?"

Kelly chuckled. "If you go to far, then I will be right there to pull you back…ok? I'm not saying you should do it right away…I just think you should consider it. Be happy…you deserve it."

"…do you have a m-m-m-m…m….mirror?"

A grin spreading across her face, Kelly released his hand and reached into her purse and pulled out a small hand mirror. "Will this work?"

"S-s-should." Carter said, looking at the mirror a bit nervously. "Just need to r-r-reflect the command b-b-back at me."

"Then give it a crack!" Kelly exclaimed, practically bouncing in her seat. "Give it a rip!"

Carter nodded, taking a deep breath. "Ok…this is it…for all the m-m-m-marbles. No turn b-b-b…b…back. One for the m-m-m-m-m…"

"Carter!" Kelly exclaimed.

"S-s-s-s-s-sorry." He said, blushing slightly. He took a deep breath, focusing in on the mirror. Flexing his fingers, Carter focused in on the mirror, energy crackling on his finger. effect has instantaneous. The commanding energy lashed out, hitting the mirror and bouncing right back at Carter, striking him in the chest. The young man gasped as the manipulation took hold, body humming slightly as he felt his mind shift.

"Whoa." He managed to get out, his eyes flickering from the aftermath. "That was a rush. Not sure if I'll ever get use to the tingling…not that it isn't a good tingling…"

Kelly laughed, interrupting his ramblings. "Welcome back, Carter."

Carter smiled softly, ducking his head slightly. "Good to be back, Kelly…good to be back."

Chuckling, Kelly reached into one of the bags she had brought with her. "Well, now that is settled, I have some gifts for you. Don't know how long you will be stuck in here, but figured you could use some reading material."

The young man glanced down at the books Kelly had plopped down on his lap. "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone…"

"The British version."

"Lord of the Rings…"

"Gandalf…one of the best white wizards."

"A biography on Houdini?"

Kelly shrugged. "Best I could find."

" 'How to Be a Superhero: Your Complete Guide to Finding a Secret HQ, Hiring a Sidekick, Thwarting the Forces of Evil, and Much More' by… Doctor Metropolis?"

Kelly beamed. "I found in on sale…it is so cool Carter, they have a section on Magus…and Psoinics…you might be a psoinic instead of a wizard. I mean, yea, your hands glow, but you do mess with people's minds…or emotions…" She paused. "And hey, we just learned that good and evil aren't emotions, or I would be smothering you with a pillow."

"Joy." Carter muttered. "Calm." He said quickly, sending a second command at Kelly before the first could take hold. "Damn it…when I am I going to learn how to control this?"

"That's why I got the book! It has steps on how to practice…"

"Kelly, you know this little line here on the back, where it says this is a humor book?" Carter said, pointing to the line of text. "That means you don't take it ser…er…it isn't a real instruction guide."

"You have a better idea?"

"…give me the damn book."

&&&

(Lee Malion-Boston)

It just wasn't possible.

Lee closed his eyes again, willing himself to believe it was all a dream, and that when he opened his eyes, she would be gone.

Eyelids slowly slide open…

Nope. Still there.

Eyes closed again.

This time, he felt it bop him on the nose, giggling.

It just wasn't possible.

Letting his eyes open once more, he watched as the little blonde-haired fairy looked at him, her face screwed up in a cute pout before she bopped him on the nose again, giggling as she fluttered about the room. All along the floor were all sorts of drawings, of monsters and mystical things…to the mundane like flowers and fruit. Each hastily drawn not just a few hours before hand, each a test.

A part of Lee's mind was working at a much different click then the rest of him, analyzing the situation carefully and cataloging all he had discovered in the last few hours:

He could bring things to life. All he had to do was draw it, focus a little on making it seem lifelike and perfect, and it would become so. Colors were selected at random, going by his own unconscious memory, unless he chose otherwise. The purple and orange squirrels that had tried to gnaw through his computer cables were a testament to that.

That was the other thing. He could revert his creations back to their paper forms with merely a thought. He had tried it several times, blinking in and out of existence a small blue ogre for 5 minutes before simply waving the little creature away. And other then a slight dizziness, he had yet to find any adverse side effects.

'I can create life…but anything else…' Lee thought as he watched as the nude little fairy spun around his head. 'Big fat no!'

His experiments into this newfound power had uncovered an unsettling limitation: He couldn't create inorganic objects. It had only been natural for him to try and create money. Yet, each one of the pictures would not become real, despite how hard he concentrated.

'I could breath life into a thousand kittens, but one little gold brick? NOOOOOOOO!'

And then came his trials with creating clothing. Polyester was out of the question, but cotton proved to be taxing. He'd managed only to make one little mitten stay in existence. All other attempts reverted back to paper before he could even shift forward to inspect them.

Lee sighed, waving his hand and turning the fairy back into a drawing. Running his hands through his hair, he allowed his mind to wander.

'This is not happening…maybe…maybe someone just...slipped something in my drink last night and I am just losing it!'

Lee stood up, grabbing the drawings and ripping them apart frantically. Bits of paper fluttered around him as he tore apart the evidence of his gift. His hectic actions quickly turned to other items in his house, destroying any scrap of paper in sight. Magazines, old sketches, the newspaper…

He just couldn't handle it…couldn't handle what was staring him right in the face.

'I am not sitting here actually thinking that I have some god-like power to create life! I am not…I do not…have the power…to create…'

Lee paused, looking down at the photo he was holding. It was a screen capture of a nudey video his friend Orlando had found online. Some blonde chick from Las Vegas posing and flirting with the camera as she removed her clothes for all the perverts and guys wish cash. Orlando had been bitching about the girl missing her normal time, leaving him without his customary pleasure material.

&&&

"I just don't get it." Lee said. "It isn't like there aren't more girls on the internet willing to take their clothes off."

"_But they ain't her." Orlando said, sliding the screen capture towards Lee. "Look at her man! She's a goddess."_

"_A goddess named Niki?"_

_Orlando scoffed. "Don't judge, Lee. Seriously…look at her man…she's the type of girl a man would do anything to be with." He leaned in closer, a lusty grin on his face as he tapped the photo. "Anything."_

&&&

Lee back down at the screen capture, then over to his art supplies.

"…life" He whispered, a smile forming on his lips.

&&&

"There is a thin line between sinner and savior. And more times then not, the line does not exist at all. For some we are a threat. For others, we are a gift. But even so, we as a species will always lean towards one way or another. And it is this leaning that determines our connection to the world.

_For it is these connections, however unexpected, that determines our destiny."_

_-Mohinder Suresh_

&&&

(Location unknown)

Bennet glanced over the file once more, making sure everything was correct

_Subject: Claire Bennet_

_Age: 17_

_Power: Healing Factor_

_Class: Potential/Solider_

RING 

Mr. Bennet frowned, pulling out his cellphone. He listened for a moment, then held the cell phone a bit tighter to his ear, hoping he had heard wrong. "They are releasing him today?"

"Yes." The woman on the other end said. "The doctors just cleared him…I tried to get them to wait…"

"You told me he would be bed ridden for another 3 days."

"I thought he would be." The woman stressed, frustrated. "The doctors say the damage must have been less sever then they thought."

Letting out a long sigh, Mr. Bennet rubbed the bridge of his nose. "We'll have to move up the retrieval. We can not let him out of our sight…every minute we don't have him in our custody just gives him more time to master his powers."

"Do you want me to…"

"No." Bennet said quickly. "You need to stay undercover…we can't let on that you and I work together. No…" Bennet adjusted his glasses. "I'll handle it. I have something to deal with here first…the subject we discussed. But afterwards…don't trouble yourself with him anymore."

There was a moment of silence, before the woman spoke again. "He is proving more powerful then we imagined."

Bennet had to agree with that. "Yes…but we should have expected him to be special. After all…" He glanced down at the personal file once more:

_Subject: Claire Bennet_

_Age: 17_

_Power: Healing Factor_

_Class: Potential/Solider_

Notable Relations: Half Brother- Carter Daniels 

"…it runs in his family."


	8. Seven Minutes to Midnight

"_Fate is fickle thing. You can fight against it, and for years it will remain the same. And the moment you stop, the moment you accept, then it will decide to take a new form, and you are left with a new battle."_

_-Mohinder Suresh_

* * *

_(Carter Daniels- Flint, Michigan)_

"Mom, I'll be fine." Carter said, looking over at her. Helena Daniels peered through the windshield of the Corvette, her face conveying her dislike of the idea. "Mom…it's just a college."

"At Midnight."

"At 11:30 pm."

"At night, in Flint."

"With police in shouting distance."

Helena raised an eyebrow. "Flint is the number 3 city for violent crime…and you want me to trust police you have to shout for?"

"Mom, trust me." Carter said. "I am going to grab some stuff from the newspaper and then go straight to my car. In and out in 6 minutes, tops. No big deal."

"Maybe I should…"

Carter gave his mother a soft smile. "Mom, I've put you through enough these last few days…go home, spend time with dad before you old people have to go to bed."

"I'm not that old, and neither is your father." Helena scolded. "Besides…we don't mind doing things for you."

"I know mom…just let me do this on my own, ok?"

Mrs. Daniels sighed. "Alright Carter, alright…" She gave him a weak smile. "What's the term for a parent that hovers around their child?"

"Helicopter Parents…and you're not one, alright?"

"I know." Helena ran her hand along his cheek. "See you at home sweetheart?"

"Only a few minutes after you get there." Carter said, slipping out of the car. "Bye mom."

"Bye Carter."

Watching the Corvette drive off, leaving him alone in the practically abandoned parking garage, Carter began to make the slow journey to his car. The tape they had wrapped his chest in to help his ribs constricted his movement, but he would manage. His eyes were coming along fit, and the shiners Hank had dealt him were clearing up. Other then a few bruises along his stomach, Carter was in great shape.

Heading to the stairs, Carter carefully climbed down to the lower level, stepping into yet another empty area. The florescent lights hummed above him, flickering and casting strange shadows all around him.

'Stupid October.' He thought to himself. Carter didn't like this time of year. There was just too much spookiness in the air for his tastes. Every tree became a monster, every shadow a ghost in October. 'Couldn't even manage down here if I wasn't brimming with confidence…' He glanced down at his hands, which flickered. "Oh, don't tell me I can't even think about emotions!"

"You know, talking to yourself is a sure sign your crazy."

"Kelly!" Carter shouted, holding his hand to his heart. "Don't do that!"

The young woman laughed. "What? Don't tell me your upgrade doesn't cover going into dark and creepy places."

"No, it only works to make me slightly less skittish." Carter said.

"Skittish, not an emotion…good to know." Kelly replied. "Come on Shaggy, walk me to my car."

"Are you going to say that every time I mention a word, Velma?" Carter asked, slowly his pace down to keep in line with Kelly.

"Pretty much." Kelly answered. "And I consider myself more of a Daphne."

"But Velma was the lesbian…"

"Yea, girl with short hair, chunky, and unattractive is the lesbian. That insults me on at least two levels."

"only two?" Carter said. "Shit, I was going for three."

"Shut up." Kelly playfully said. The two walked in silence as they made their way to their cars. "Where's your mom?"

"I sent her home…I can get my car by myself. What about you?"

"Late night on the paper…I spent so much time worrying about you, I let a few deadlines slip."

Carter rolled his eyes. "Yea, it's all my fault that you would rather goof off then work on editing articles about new registering practices."

The young woman smacked his arm. "Shut up!"

"Because we both know you didn't spend all that time shopping with only a ten minute visit to my hospital bed, right Kelly."

"Shut…up."

Carter laughed out loud, narrowly dodging the fist Kelly aimed at his arm. "Watch out, I'm still on the injured list." Dashing towards her car, Carter made sure to get on the other side of the vehicle. "Come on…wouldn't hurt your baby, would you?"

Grumbling, Kelly unlocked the door and stepped in. "We'll talk about this later, Carter."

"I'm sure we will." Carter said, making his way to his own car and opening the door. "Bye Kelly!"

"Bye." Kelly muttered, twisting the key in the ignition.

Nothing

"Damn it!" Kelly shouted.

"What?" Carter asked, peaking from his car.

"My battery is dead!"

Carter nodded. "I'll give you a jump." He turned his own key…and nothing. "What the hell?"

"There is no use of trying to get them to work." Kelly and Carter turned as one to see 2 men step out of the shadows. One was a bald dark skinned man, his face impassive and cold. The other was a pudgy, middle-aged man wearing a parking garage guard uniform…

…and pointing a gun right at Carter.

"Step out of the car, Mr. Daniels…we need to talk."

* * *

_(Lee Malion- Boston, Massachusetts)_

"There…right there…almost…no."

Lee stood up, pacing around the image he had been working on, inspecting it with his most critical eye. He could afford no mistakes, no errors at this point. This piece needed to be perfect, a masterpiece.

He'd been up since 9, examining and reexamining his first base sketches that he'd completed the night before. What he wanted to highlight, what he wanted to ignore, and what he wanted to change. He'd never drawn a picture like this before. He'd never found images he'd draw himself to hold his interest like this one had. And for that reason, he was obsessed with getting it right.

Looking over the image, sketching patiently on butcher paper, Lee searched one last time for any errors he may have made. He sat on his hunches, running his fingers along the carefully drawn lines, caressing it softly.

As he did, the image began to shake. Softly at first, like a flutter, then growing, becoming harder, more violent with each passing moment. Still, Lee remained focused, running his fingers along the parchment.

The image began to bulge up, paper taking on a softer texture. His hand lifted up as the lines faded into golden peach flesh. Strokes of the pencil became locks of hair, the color of the sun. The body, made more shapely and curvy, grew out from its 2-d prison. Until at last, the paper folded in on itself, finishing the transformation.

"Huuuuuuuuuuu!" The woman gasped, eyes snapping open.

"Shh…" Lee whispered. "It's alright."

The woman looked over at her creator, carefully raising her hand and running her fingertips along his lips. "Master…"

Lee smiled, taking her hand in his. "Hello my lovely. My beauty." He kissed her fingers. No 'Niki' or anything like that. His improved goddess would have a name befitting her. "My…Galatea."

* * *

_(Carter Daniels and Kelly Raegan- Flint, Michigan)_

"Is there a problem officer?" Carter said, slowly emerging from his car, hands raised. Suddenly, his words to his mother about the officers being within shouting distance echoed in his head.

"We need you to come with us." The officer said, keeping his gun trained on Carter. "Don't make this any harder." his eyes flicked upwards, "Don't bother trying to use your powers on us."

Carter's hands lowered a bit. "Wh…what?"

"There is a lot we know about you Carter…maybe more then even you know. But right now, all you need to understand…is that you have to come with us."

"Carter…" Kelly hissed, shaking her head. "Voldemort…Voldemort!"

"It'll be ok Kelly." Carter replied, calmer then he actually felt. He turned to the guard, "Ok…just lower the gun and I'll come quietly." The man nodded, letting his gun falls slightly, but still ready to be fired at a moments notice. Carter walked towards him, hands still raised, his eyes darting back towards Kelly to reassure her.

This was how he saw the Haitian begin to move towards his friend. "Hey…what is he…"

"It's alright Carter." The guard said, trying his best to keep his voice soothing.

"Carter…" Kelly called out, backing away from the creepy bald man. "Voldemort….Voldemort!"

"What is he going to do?" Carter asked. The other man remained silent, moving towards the young man. Carter snarled, his hands lighting up like a Christmas tree. "Tell me!"

The pudgy man paused, holding up a hand. "Calm down…he's just going to make sure your friend isn't bothered by this…"

"Let her be bothered." His hands flashed, the energy slowly spilling out and drifting towards the two men. Both felt its affects, and were put on edge.

"I can't do that, Carter. No loose ends." He turned towards his associate. "Hollow her out."

"CARTER!" Kelly screamed, back against a wall as the other man quickened his pace.

"I'm warning you…" Carter snapped, holding up his hand. "Tell him to stand down! I'm coming with you, she doesn't matter, let her go!"

"I can't do that. We can't have her talking about what she saw. You need to worry about yourself…" The man said, raising his gun once more. "She doesn't matter anymore." The man gave him a grim smile. "It's time to go…"

Kelly let out a cry as the bald man grabbed her head tightly in his hands.

"PANIC!" Carter screamed without thinking, spinning about and firing the energy right at Kelly's attacker. The other man let out a grunt as he was hit, falling to the ground, clutching his head. A shot rang out, and Carter bellowed as the bullet burst out his shoulder, blood spilling from the wound. Before the guard could take another shot, Carter was facing him, his face twisted in anger. "PANIC!" He cried out once more, striking the gun carrying man square in the chest with everything he had. The man went down, his weapon falling from his grip.

After a minute, he worked up the nerve to rise into a sitting position, panting. He looked around the garage, only the echoes of the two students' footfalls confirming they had been there at all. He pulled out his phone, still shaking from the after-affects of the blast.

"Carter…Carter Daniels has escaped! I repeat, Carter Daniels has escaped!"

* * *

Holding Kelly to his chest, Carter bit down hard to keep his screams at bay. His ribs throbbed, his arms aches, and his shoulder…

'Damn it, damn it, damn it!' Carter yelled in his head, tears blurring his vision. It felt as if a knife was being driven into his right shoulder each time he took a step. Blood was leaking from the hole, and he was trying his best to use Kelly's shoulder to apply pressure to the wound.

But Carter knew, if he didn't hurry, he'd lose too much blood…and then it didn't matter what he did.

Gulping for air, he ran up a ramp, trying to get to the ground level. Then, he could make a dash for the college…hope the doors were unlocked…

Carter's head whipped around as he heard a car skid through the garage, the noise coming closer. Grunting in frustration, he forced his body to go faster, even if it felt like he was moving through molasses. He pushed harder, the car getting closer…

The young man just managed to skid to a stop as the van screeched in front of him, leaving dark black rubber marks on the cement floor. Carter held up his hand, the van's door sliding open…

"H…Hank?" Carter managed to get out.

"Get in!" Hank Delpine cried out, waving him towards the van. "Carter! You need to get in…they are going to kill you! They are going to kill Kelly! Come on!"

Carter paused for only a moment, eyes darting about, before he leapt into the van. Hank slammed the door shut as the vehicle shot forward, rocketing out of the garage and onto the road. Hank grabbed Kelly and dragged her to the back of the van, before returning to Carter, a rag in his hand.

"Hold still…we're going to get you somewhere so we can look at that shoulder…Terry, keep driving!"

"Hank…"

"And we'll look over Kelly, too." Hank said. "Don't worry…"

"Don't worry?" Carter asked. "Don't worry!?!" He screamed. "Why does everyone keep telling me not to worry!?! I just got shout in the damn arm! Some black guy just grabbed Kelly's head and knocked her out! You drive up in a van and tell me not to worry…."

"And you can manipulate people's emotions." Hank said calmly. "I know more then think…and if you'd calm down, I'll explain how."

Carter looked over at Hank, his eyes wide. "Hank…?"

* * *

"_Fate is fickle…and it will not allow others to control it. It only controls itself."_

_-Mohinder Suresh_

* * *

"I have been sent by Hiro Nakamura." Hank Delpine said softly, looking Carter dead in the eye. "I'm here to help you save the world."


	9. Homecoming

"_There are those that are the lone wolves. Beings that, for one reason or another, have chosen a life of solitude. They stand on the fringe, seeing; yet separated. Alone, they are a small piece of the puzzle."_

_-Mohinder Suresh_

* * *

"Courage." 

A flash a light, a burning in his chest.

"Confidence."

Another flash…and everything felt right once again.

_(Carter Daniels- Flint, Michigan)_

"Kinda weird to see that from the other side." Hank Delpine said, leaning against a wall, arms folded across his broad chest. He watched as Carter looked himself over in the mirror, poking at the bandages that were wrapped around his shoulder.

"Can imagine." Carter said, examining the white gauze.

"..why are you touching yourself like that?"

"I think the bullet hole sealed up."

Hank shook his head. "Wounds don't heal that quick. Probably just scabbed over."

"I'm telling you, it's all healed!" Carter muttered, reaching over to remove the bandages.

"Uggg…." Carter and Hank turned to see Kelly sitting up, blinking her eyes. "Jesus…where the hell am I?"

"Could you please watch the use of the Lord's name?" Hank begged.

Kelly scooted back against the head board, eyes wide as she glanced over from Hank to Carter, then back to Hank…then once more to Carter. "What the hell is…"

"What's the last thing you remember?" Carter asked.

"What happened to your shoulder?" Kelly asked, startled by the thick bandages that covered his body.

Carter frowned. "I'll explain later, what is the last thing you remember."

"And where are we?"

"I will tell you…"

"And why is Hank…"

"JUST ANSWER THE MAN'S QUESTION!" Hank shouted.

Carter and Kelly stared at him, both giving him a look that told him neither were in the mood for his short fuse.

"Sorry...sorry…" Hank mumbled, leaning back against the wall.

Kelly turned back to her friend. "The last thing I remember is heading to the parking garage after working on the paper…then nothing." She frowned, rubbing her head. "What happened…where we hit by a car or something?"

"More like shot." Carter grunted, rotating his shoulder. "Hank, I swear this thing is all healed up, can't I…"

"No! I didn't buy $30 worth of medical gauze and bandage just for you to rip it off half a day later."

"Half a day?" Kelly questioned. "Carter…"

The young man sighed, grabbing a shirt and throwing it on. "We're at Hank's apartment. To give you the 2-minute version, we met in the parking garage, cars didn't work. Some fat security guard and bald black guy walked up to us with guns, talking about kidnapping me and holying you or hallowing or something like that. You get grabbed, they both get a taste of what I can do, and I get shot in the damn shoulder. I carry you out of there, Hank drives up in a van, rambling about some guy named Hero and that he knows all about me and wants to help me save the world."

"…"

"Never said it made sense."

* * *

_(Lee Malion- Boston, Massachusetts)_

Lee lounged on the bed, watched as Galatea looked through his closet, searching for a shirt that would fit her. Due to Lee's…modifications…his shirts, which would normally fit a someone of Galatea's stature, proved to be too tight in some…areas.

They had spent the night in each other's company, christening every surface in the apartment they could find. Per his instructions, Tea had been a hellcat when it came to sex, and left the graphic artist spent.

So, he had chosen to enjoy the view of her naked ass bobbing up and down as she perused for some clothing. However, his mind kept going back to thoughts he did not want to consider.

He didn't want to revert Galatea to a picture. She was his prize, his trophy girlfriend to flaunt. And what good is a trophy if you can't show it off 24/7?

Besides, he had no clue how this newfound power worked. What if he could only bring her back a few times, then she'd remain paper forever? Or what if the process degraded her in some way? Or was too much of a strain? Maybe this power would stop suddenly, and he would be left without her.

'And I can't loss her.' He thought possessively, watching as she gave a cute little pout, holding up two t-shirts. 'I finally have gotten someone to be with…and I won't risk losing her…'

And that meant a whole new set of problems.

He wasn't for sure if she was human per say, but if last night was any indication, she was damn close. And that meant she would need to be treated like one. He had breathed life into her, and he wasn't heartless enough to treat her like an object. She was a person, and deserved the same rights as him.

Like food, clothing and other basic needs.

Needs he could barely afford to pay for as it was, without the second mouth.

'I'll have to find a way.' He thought. 'I can't make money…but I could make pigs or something…maybe make a butcher to cut them up and a cook to make them…then I would have to decide if I wanted to keep the chef and butcher alive all the time or revert them to paper. Reverting is risky, but with them being alive, I would have to feed them, which means more pigs…' Lee banged the back of his skull against the headboard. "Damn it…there must be someway to make money, like selling my blood or robbing a bank…" He closed his eyes. "Yea, rob a bank…that would work out SOOOO well…"

"Oops!" Tea exclaimed. Lee opened his eyes to see his creation holding his closet door in his hands. It had been ripped from the wall, and Galatea held it like it weighed nothing. "This sure came off easy!"

Lee raised an eyebrow. 'No…it can't be that simple.' He looked up at Tea. "Could you grab me my metal yard stick?"

"Ok!" She exclaimed, skipping from the room and returning with the heavy-duty yardstick. He'd gotten it at an artist's convention, some booth handing them out to anyone that stood there for a moment or two.

"Could you break it in half?"

Galatea shrugged, grabbing it and twisting the metal like a pretzel until it snapped apart. She looked up at her creator, smiling. "IS that good?"

"Oh…it's very good." Lee said, a plan forming in his head. "Tell me…think you could break something…bigger?"

* * *

Carter shoved his hands deep in his pockets, looking down at the water below him as it churned. It wasn't that cold out, but the wind that whipped about helped cool the air about them. 

That, and the story Hank had told them chilled Carter further.

They had gone for a walk, the young man going stir crazy in Hank's apartment. Deciding that they would be safe in public, at least for the moment, they'd begun walking around the campus. Hank wove his tale of coming to his senses little over two days after Carter had hit him with the panic attack, and finding a serious looking Japanese guy with a sword in his hospital room.

The man, stating his name was Hiro Nakamura, told Hank about Carter's powers, and about how he, Kelly and Carter would help save the world. Then, after warning Hank about the parking garage, had promptly disappeared.

"He really said that Carter was sent by God?" Kelly questioned. The group had stopped on the Harrison Street Bridge, overlooking the Flint River.

Hank nodded. "Yea…said Carter was special, and that a higher power had a purpose for him. Only higher power I can think of is The Lord."

Carter glanced over at Hank. "Can I tell you how ha…y-you know…I am that you didn't automatically assume it was Lucifer?"

"Shut up Carter." Hank said, only half serious. "You might be sent by Heaven to battle the forces of evil…that doesn't mean I like you."

"I'm hurt." Carter replied.

The head of the Christian group grunted. "Think I liked it better when you were all scared and stuttering."

The emotion manipulator shrugged. "You'll pardon me if I'm not exactly acting like your friend, Hank. You kinda broke my ribs, remember?"

"You altered my mind!"

"You treated me like shit for months!"

"You wrote all that stuff about me in the paper!"

"Now it comes out!" Carter shouted. "Always with that damn article, huh?"

"What do you expect…"

Kelly held her head in her hands. "And people wonder why I turned to girls." She latched out and grabbed both men by the ears, giving them a tug. "If you two are done seeing whose is bigger, I'd like to know what is next!" Both guys let out a yelp, struggling to free themselves from Kelly's vice like grip. "Will you behave?"

"Yes!" Carter and Hank shouted. Kelly nodded, letting go and allowing the two to baby their injured ears.

"I should whammy you for that." Carter muttered, cup in ear.

"Try it, I will beat you into next week." Kelly challenged with a grin. "I don't fight like a girl."

"Coulda fooled me." Hank whined.

Kelly rolled her eyes, turning on Hank. "Start talking, now. What is the plan? You're suppose to help Carter and me save the world…you said something about another person?"

Hank nodded, leaning against the bridge's railing. "Hiro said that we would need to leave Flint tomorrow. By that time, there would be four of us." ." He looked at Kelly, slightly annoyed. "Didn't say where we should go, only that you'd figure it out."

"The fourth person that is suppose to be with us…" Carter asked, "You have no clue who he or she might be?"

"None."

"Great."

Hank looked about. He was nervous, being out in the open like this. They had been out too long, and he wondered now why he'd agreed to this walk. Hiro had told him to protect Carter…to help save the world. Letting him stay out here for so long…it was only tempting fate.

"We need to go." Hank said. "Come on…"

Carter frowned. "What do you mean, we need to go?"

"We've been out in plain sight for too long…someone might have seen us. We need to get ready."

"To do what?" Carter asked, his frustration getting the better of him. "We don't even know what we are suppose to do! God…" He began to pace, voice getting louder. "we are running around without, taking the advice of some mysterious Japanese Guy!"

"Calm down." Hank said, trying to reason with him. "I know this is strange…"

"THIS IS STRANGE?!?" Carter screamed. "I can force people to feel things with a word! The people that have decided to hunt me down and shoot me can erase your memories! And now I am go on some Holy Quest because a reject from an Anime told you I would! Why does everyone keep telling me to be calm! I'm scared to dea…"

Carter, Kelly, and Hank froze, watching the young man's hand as it lit up…and fired out towards the car rapidly approaching where they stood. They could hear the screams of the driver as the suggestion took hold, and stared in horror as the car began to swerve violently.

Kelly grabbed Carter's arm as Hank backed up. "undo it…undo it!"

"CALM!" Carter cried out, unleashing a second blast. Once more, the command took hold of the driver, forcing any fear from her.

But it was too late.

The car had leapt the curb and was heading right for them.

**"JUMP!"** Hank screamed, leaping off the bridge. Carter grabbed Kelly's hand, the two plunging over the railing just as the car skidded past where they had been standing. Kelly screaming as they fell, Carter taking in a gasp of air before they hit the water.

Instantly all three felt the jolt from the icy water, numbing their muscles and freezing their blood. Carter forced himself to hold onto Kelly's hand, kicking up as hard as he could and breaking to the surface. The young woman gasped for air when the reached the top, her hair clinging to her face. A few feet away, Hank struggled to swim to them. The bridge was right over the roughest part of the river, water churning from the dams designed to lower the river. White foam churned all around them as all three struggled to reach each other, Carter and Hank finally locking hands.

"Keep treading!" Carter yelled over the waves. "The river will push us towards the ladders!" Hank and Kelly nodded, turning to focus on the old iron ladder that hung against the concrete walls that now formed the banks of the river. Forcing their tired bodies to move, all three kicked with every ounce of strength they could, letting the water push them forward as they moved to the right

"We aren't getting closer!" Kelly screamed.

"Keep kicking!"

"Carter!" Hank yelled. "Look at the water! It's rising!" In front of them, the water seemed the veer up unnaturally, forcing them to swim uphill.

"No…we're sinking!" Carter cried out. Sure enough, a 8-foot circle of water around the three seemed to be slowing down, the level lowering dramatically. "This…this isn't possible!" Carter shouted as they were slowly surrounded by walls of roaring water, their own section seeming to be held in place.

Kelly gasped when her foot touched the bottom, and the three soon found themselves standing on the riverbed, fish flopping around them and garbage littering their feet. The water had, by now, receded to a trickle, leaving the circle they stood in bone dry.

"Carter…are you doing this? A new power?" Kelly whispered in awe, toeing a beer bottle.

"No…not me….either of you?"

"Not them." A voice called out above them. All three looked up, shielding their eyes. Above them, standing on the water, was the woman that had nearly ran them off the road. Her eyes were glowing a pale blue, focused on the small area she had cleared just for them. "Me."

Carter's eyes went wide.

* * *

"_But when lone wolves join together…anything is possible."_

_-Mohinder Suresh_

* * *

"Dr. Frey?"

* * *

Author's Note: I would like to thank those that are reviewing: Bob the Robot, ShadowStorm14, SameraiSirius, Griffbear, Dragonborn, In My Memories, Nickelman,Titubla, Corebowe, TheRavynFire, and finally, my parents. I respond to all reviews, and will at times include spoilers and other goodies. So please, continue to review. 


	10. 6 Months Ago

Author's Note 1: I in no way, shape or form own the show HEROES or the characters that appear within it. I am, however, the creator of all original characters in this fiction. All original characters may not be used in any fic except by my permission. But, if anyone from the show HEROES is watching, feel free to use the names, or contact me for complete permission to use the characters

Author's Note 2: The following takes place 1 week after the final events of the episode "6 Months Ago". If there areanyerrors in the timeline (or if the show's cannon changes to make the timeline of this story incorrect) I will correct them within the chapter and alert the fans.

* * *

_"There are moments when everything changes. When we are forced to reevaluate our lives and ourselves. It is during these events that we discover who we truly are. When the world is thrown to chaos, the real us is exposed for all to see." _

_-Mohinder Suresh_

* * *

_6 Months Ago_

_(Dr. Linda Frey- Grand Blanc, Michigan)_

Dr. Linda Frey sighed as she dumped her purse on the kitchen counter, letting her cosmetics, change and other ends/odds spill from the mock designer bag. Her last class had ended, and with no final exams scheduled for any of her courses, the young woman was looking forward to 4 months of relaxation intermixed with some book purchasing and research.

Deciding she wanted to celebrate her freedom the right way, Linda made her way to the fridge, dancing to the music she heard in her head. Pulling out some fruit punch, she grabbed the bottle of rum she kept hidden in the vegetable crisper and began to pour herself a nice healthy drink.

Imitating some dance music, she slid into the living room and kicked her feet up, sliding the dress shoes off. She stretched long and hard before finally settling in, drink in hand and flipping on the TV.

"Crap…crap…" She muttered, surfing through the channels. "Don't care…crap…" Smile slipping, Linda continued to flick through the channels, hoping to find something…anything that would serve to entertain her brain.

"Welcome to A&E's Look at Genetics. Since the…"

CLICK

"The Nile River did not always flow…"

CLICK

"Look, up in the sky…"

CLICK

"This…is CNN."

Linda shrugged. "Guess it's just you and Darth." Taking a long slip of her drink, the college professor settled in for some well-deserved couch potatoing.

"And in other news, police have arrested a man in connection with the disappearance of 3 men in Las Vegas who were believed to be apart of a robbery there. D.L. Hawkins, seen here…"

Linda's glass shattered as it fell to the floor.

&&&

_(Lee Malion- Boston, Massachusetts)_

"Malion!"

Lee looked up from his work, setting the ink pen carefully in its holder before giving his full attention to his boss.

"Yes?"

Lee's boss smiled, pulling a folder from his arm. "You know how you've hinting at taking some time off this summer?"

"Yea?" Lee asked. The graphic artist hadn't taken a vacation in 2 years, except for a few days off spent working on his own pet projects. So, he'd asked for a few weeks off so he could just relax, maybe even begin working on some pieces he'd been neglecting.

"Management has decided not to give you your requested time off."

Lee's face fell, the artist visibly upset. "Sir…" He sighed, forcing himself not to get upset. His boss had no control over this…

"Instead, in 2 weeks, we are sending you, all expenses paid, to the National Artists Convention in New York."

The man's jaw dropped, staring in shock as his boss pulled an airline ticket out and held them right infront of his nose.

"Sir…thank you so much…"

Lee's boss shook his hand. "Think nothing of it Lee. Now, if anyone asks, this is strictly for research on new drawing techniques…got it?" The older man gave him a wink.

"Sure thing…sure thing." Lee stammered, staring down at the tickets as his boss left. He waited a few moments before whooping for joy.

* * *

"Hello?" 

"Ms. Hawkins?"

Paulette Hawkins frowned, not in the mood to deal with another reporter. "I'm sorry, but I will not answer any…"

"It's Linda."

"…" Paulette froze, nearly dropping the phone. "Linda…Linda Frey?"

Linda's voice came out a little shakey. "Yea…it's me."

"Linda Frey…" Ms. Hawkins stumbled back, flopping down in a chair that happened to be nearby. "It's…it's been…"

"10 years…I know." Linda paused, obviously nervous. "If now isn't the best time…"

"Honey…I have nothin' but time." Paulette smiled, her voice flavored with happiness…a happiness she hadn't felt for several days now. Not since her precious boy…"Did you see the news?"

"Yea…that's why I had to call. To see if you were alright." Linda said softly. "How…how did this…"

"I don't know…I just don't know…" Paulette replied, sounding older then she'd ever felt. "They keep saying these things…saying that D.L…."

"We both know he didn't do this." Linda said. "D.L. doesn't have it in him…and his own crew?"

"I know…he's being set up. I just know it."

Linda paused before speaking. "Do you want me to…"

"no." Paulette said firmly. "No…D.L. wouldn't want you coming back here and getting tangled up in this mess. He helped you break free of this place, Linda. It's better if you just keep living your life there."

"Ok." Linda replied. "If you hear anything…"

"I will." She said softly. "Bye Linda."

* * *

_2 weeks later_

_(Lee Malion- New York, New York)_

Lee Malion strolled through the event center, passing booth after booth. Like a kid in a candy store, or some other lame cliché, his head turned right and left as he tried to abs orbit all. Art and drawings of all sorts, styles and genres surrounded him, as did the artists, each waiting to discuss their work. Intermixed between the displays were vendors, offering the newest paints, brushes, pens, design programs, templates and canvases. There were several booths there that featured How-To demonstrations, as well as the occasional contest.

But most important of all, each booth had free goodies…and Lee was loading up on everything he could. Two bugling bags in his left hand, one in his right, and still Lee was making the rounds for more.

Stopping by one booth, a smirk slowly played on his lips. "Look who's slumming it."

"Lee?" The man said in surprise.

"Hello Isaac." Lee said with a chuckle. "Been awhile…haven't seen you in ages."

"What are you doing here?" Isaac Mendez asked, surprised

The graphic artist laughed. "Company sent me…reward for busting my ass for them all these years. What about you? Last I heard, you were a big legit painter."

Isaac shifted. "I…uh…"

Lee looked down at the table Isaac was sitting at, laughing softly as he picked up a sample comic book cover. "What is this?"

"It's…"

"Are you…" he paused, trying hard to control his laughter, "…are you…writing a comic book?"

"Shut up Lee." Isaac snapped, grabbing the sample cover.

"Come on…I think it's wicked awesome."

Isaac glared at his friend. "At least I'm not drawing posters for boy bands."

"Ouch." Lee mocked. He thought for a moment. "You seem a little…wound up."

"Everyone seems wound up to you, Lee."

"I mean, you've always been uptight, but not this bad." Isaac shifted uneasily, and Lee's smile slowly faded. "Holy shit, you're still doing, aren't you?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Isaac snapped, reaching down and pulling out one of the free handouts Simone had made him. Inside his head, he made a promise to never let his girlfriend talk him into another convention again. "Now, do you want a big metal yard stick or not?"

Lee shook his head. "I can't believe you are still on that junk. Even I quit, and I was the worst of us." The graphic artist frowned. "Man, is this why you're drawing the comic? For drug money?"

"Just shut up and leave me alone Lee!" Isaac shouted, standing up. The people around them paused, looking at them strangely as the New York Artist continued to lay into him. "I don't your help!"

"Isaac…if I think you have a problem…if _I _think so…what does that tell you?" Lee said, trying to calm his fellow artist.

"It tells me you are such a talentless hack that all you have to spend your time on is grabbing freebies from a convention and talking to the booth operators!"

The instant the words left his mouth, Isaac regretted them. Lee's face instantly went hard, trying to hide the betrayal he felt. Lowering his head slightly, the graphic artist held out his hand.

"I will take the yard stick."

"Lee…"

"Give it to me." He snarled, yanking the metal from Isaac and storming through the crowd, leaving his friend to watch on, stunned and ashamed.

* * *

_(Linda Frey- Lake Michigan)_

'What made me to decide to do this?' Linda thought with a gulp, his knuckles turning white as she gripped the towbar. Sitting on dock, skis in the water, she watched as her friends waved to her, revving up the boat.

She'd taken time out from her busy schedule of sleeping in late, eating junk food, laying out in the sun reading a good book and watching reruns on basic cable to join some friends she knew from college at the beach. That had meant she got to sleep in late, ate junk food, sat on the beach in a bikini, reading a book, and watched idiots fall off of water skis.

So, of course, she'd let her friends convince her to try the sport out.

"Get ready!" One friend shouted, revving the engine one more time. "We're going in 3…2…1…."

Linda screamed as she was yanked forward, almost loosing her grip on the towbar. Her eyes nearly popped from her head as she was pulled forward, skis skimming the water as her friends cheered her on. Closing her eyes, she continued to bounce along the lake surface, grimacing each time spray from the water struck her face.

"Stop!" She screamed. "I want to stop!"

Her friends continued to egg her on, the boat speeding up. Linda began to scream bloody murder, hanging on for dear life. Her friends continued to whoop it up, pumping their fists in the air and shouting at her.

"STOP! STOOOPPP!" Linda screamed, shutting her eyes tight. "I SAID STOP!" Her eyelids slammed open, revealing glowing blue orbs of light. Her friends couldn't see that though, being as far away as they were.

But they did feel it as the boat suddenly lurched, sending them all to the floor, the impact knocking all 3 out cold. Linda too stopped dead in the water, much to her surprise. Looking down, she watched as the lake violently flowed past her in the opposite direction, the water moving faster then the boat had been going. It had been this sudden shift that had caused the speedboat to stop, leaving them in the middle of the lake.

But as the water slowed down, returning the lake to it's normal movement, it was something else that Linda noticed that caused her to freeze upon. She stared down, unable to comprehend what she was witnessing.

She was standing on the water.

Not sinking…standing. As if the water had been made solid.

And so Linda stood there, her eyes glowing like Christmas lights, watching the water lap along her skis.

* * *

_2 days later_

_(Location Unknown)_

"Are you sure?"

Mr. Bennett's voice was quiet, controlled, on the other end of the line. "I am 90 sure."

The woman nodded, glancing once more to make sure her bedroom door was locked. "There is…still 10."

Bennett voice came out soft, almost broken. "I can't let myself cling to that hope." He cut her off before she could rebut. "She is one of them. I know it. And if Claire is one of them, there is little doubt that Carter is as well. We've both seen how alike those two are." There was a pause, the man letting out a sigh. "If it weren't for the age difference, I would swear they were twins."

"But Carter…"

"We all have a stake in this." Bennett reminded her sternly. His voice grew softer. "I know how you feel about him. I feel the same about Claire. It breaks my heart. But if they're is a danger to themselves…to the world, then we have to be ready to make the necessary sacrifice."

"You can't be suggesting…"

"I'm suggesting you to do your duty." Bennett took a moment to calm himself. "Besides, there is still the chance that Carter isn't special. In which case, this entire conversation is moot. We must remain vigilant." A pause. "are you…"

"Agreed." The woman said at last.

"Good. If you see anything, contact me."

"Of course…goodbye."

* * *

As she hung up the phone, the woman closed her eyes, head hung low as she worked to steady her nerves. The call had drudged up old fears, and her mind continued to play out images she wished she'd never seen. But, she could not undo the past. Bennett and her had done what they needed to do…and the accident that had changed both their lives those 14 years ago could never be erased.

_"When the real person is exposed, when we are forced to confront who we truly are, will we rise to the occasion? Or will we chose to stay with the norm, even if it means losing everything in the end?" _

_-Mohinder Suresh_

* * *

"M-mom?"

The woman turned towards the door, a watery smile forming as she heard her son's voice.

"Mom, who w-w-was that on the ph…ph…phone?"

"It was no one." The woman said, opening the door and wrapping an arm around her son. 14 years ago, an accident had changed her life. And whatever the upcoming months would bring, Helena Daniels would never regret it. "Nothing to worry about."

For it had given her Carter, her precious son.

* * *

Thank you to everyone that has been reviewing. I look forward every week to your reviews, and it always makes me smile to read to kind words. Next week is the Fall Season Finale of Elsewhere until January 22. So, continue to review...it will be worth it. 


	11. Fallout

Author's Note: I do not own the rights to HEROES. The dialogue at the beginning comes from the episode 'Homecoming'. All original characters are copyrighted by me. If the producers, actors or anyone connected to HEROES is reading this, you have my full permission to put Carter and/or Linda on Mohinder's list or contact me and include them in the show….please?

* * *

(Carter Daniels- Odessa, Texas) 

Carter looked around darkened hallway, trying to get his eyes to adjust. He knew something was coming, something dangerous. Adrenaline was pumping through his system as he darted his head about, searching…searching…

"AAAA!"

The young man's head whipped around towards the sound of the scream, watching as a cheerleader burst out of a locker room right towards him. Something…something in his head called out to this girl. He didn't know why he felt what he did…didn't even know what it was. A love, of some kind…for a slip of a young woman he'd never seen before.

She ran into his arms, Carter stopping her as she panted. Blood was caked on her face, matting her hair.

"Are you ok?" He asked. The cheerleader stared past him, and Carter turned, eyes widening as he saw a stranger hidden by the shadows standing away from them. "Run, go!" he shouted, the two of them racing for the door. Carter turned quickly, facing the man and hoping to stop him.

He could hear the sound of tearing metal, and ducked and shifted as locker doors flew at him. Carter was out of his league and he knew it. Turning, he raced to the door, away from the strange man, past the Wildcat's sign and out into the night.

Catching up with the cheerleader, the two ran up some stairs/seats. At the top, carter turned to the girl, holding her arm.

"Who is it?" She asked.

"Go, to the stadium, okay? Find people, find lights, he doesn't want to be seen."

"What about you?" She asked.

"Don't worry about me. Go." Carter said, his need to protect her outweighing his own safety. His brain screamed at him not to fail her. She stared at him in shock. "Go!" He yelled, watching as she took off in a run. Carter turned back, only to come face to face with the man. He frowned; focusing on his powers…only he couldn't say the words. He couldn't do anything…except…

Carter wrapped his arms around the man, pulling him off the structure and towards the ground below….

* * *

"Carter!" 

"NO!" Carter screamed, bolting straight up from the bed. His chest was heaving hard, his breath coming out in ragged gulps. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, and was afraid if he looked down, he would see it through the skin. Shaking hard, he ran his fingers through his hair, the nightmare still playing through his head.

"C-carter…" A voice managed to get out.

The young man turned, eyes widening in horror as he saw Hank, Kelly and Linda shivering on the ground, curled up in tight little balls. All three were staring at him, their faces a story of absolute terror.

"Calm…" Kelly managed to get out. "Calm…"

Carter nodded quickly, holding out his hand. "calm." He blinked, horrified that his hand remained normal; no glow, no magic. "Calm." He said more forcefully, sighing with relief when his power activated, the energy pooling from his fingers and into his companions. All three of them let out a sigh of relief as the soothing command took hold, allowing them all to breathe easy. "What the hell happened?" Carter asked, still staring at his hand.

"We heard you yelling…" Linda said, standing up slowly. "When we came in…your entire body was…glow…ing…" She tapered off. Carter frowned, noticing the rest of the group had also taken to staring at him.

"What?"

Hank quietly took out a mirror, holding it up for Carter to see…that his eyes were glowing white. Just like his hands normally did.

"Holy…"

* * *

(Lee Malion and Galatea- Boston, Massachusetts) 

"So…you are thinking about purchasing one of safe deposit boxes?" The bank manager said, sitting down at the desk.

"Yes. The wife and I feel that it is important to safeguard her valuable." Lee said, folding his hands in his lap. Galatea sat perfectly still, behaving just as Lee had told her to do. "Can't be too careful."

Lee was dressed in his best suit, hair combed and looking as nice as he could get it. Galatea wore a neat pantsuit, prim and proper. It had been hard to find a suit that fit her form…hard to part with the $700 dollars to purchase it.

But, in the end, one had to spend money to make money.

"Well, you can rest assure that we offer some of the most secure deposit systems in the state. Infact, we have been ranked number 1 for 3 years now."

Galatea nodded. "That sounds wonderful. Could we take a look at one of the boxes?"

The bank manager nodded, standing up and leading the couple out of the office and over to the large room opposite him. He typed in a password, then slide the door open, allowing the two to enter. Lee and Galatea entered the small room, barely 10 by 10 feet, eyes wandering the boxes. Each one sat flush to the wall, a heavy-duty handle welded each draw. A small keyhole was right next to the handles, and a tiny 4 digit number lay right above it.

The manager took great pains of showing how the lock was designed to prevent lock picks, and that the handle was a part of the entire box, as so to stop someone from knowing it off and using the hole as a way of access. He pointed to several cameras that lined the room, telling them how they recorded everything day and night, so that if there were a break in, they would have crystal clear footage.

"Could we perhaps have a moment to discuss this over in private?" Lee asked politely.

"Of course." The manager said. He moved towards the door, looking back at the two. "Don't go stealing anything!" Lee and Galatea laughed, waving the manager off as he headed out to leave them in peace. The instant he was away, Lee was at the door, pulling it almost shut.

The artist quickly opened his jacket, looking down at the little fairy he had created that morning. The little sprite giggled as she kept herself focused, releasing the magnetic pulse Lee had programmed her with.

"Our lightning bug here will disrupt the cameras, so we are in the clear." He nodded to his lover. "You know what to do."

Galatea nodded, selecting one of the draws and grabbing the handle firmly. There was a metallic groan, and Lee peeked through the crack in the door, glad that no one had noticed it, the bank that busy. After a moment, the entire thing popped out, the inner lock shattering and revealing the motherload: diamond jewelry.

"Hurry up and open the next one." He said, stuffing the ill-gotten gains in his pockets. "We need to get a few more before we can leave." He fingered one of the jewels. "Baby, remind me to call work and tell them I'm taking a personal day tomorrow?"

"Why?" Galatea asked, ripping another draw free.

"Because you and me are getting naked and rolling around in all the cash this is going to provide us!"

* * *

He frowned, looking at the folder that had been left behind. He didn't know what had possessed him to grab it…infact it made little sense to grab it, all things considered. 

His mind went back to the girl…Claire. So close. He had been so close. One stupid mistake had cost him almost everything. Had he just been more carefully, he wouldn't be standing here now. He would be unstoppable, perfect…special. Finally special.

It would be harder to find her now. They would hide her, try and keep him from here. He would still get her…he always got what he wanted now…and if he didn't, he tried again. It would be harder though.

But reading this file…he felt a glimmer of something deep within his darkened soul.

_Subject: Carter Daniels_

_Age: 22_

_Power: Emotion Manipulation/ Possible Healer Factor_

_Class: Potential/Armageddon_

_Profession: Student/Reporter_

_Location: Flint, Michigan_

_Notable Connections: Little Sister- Claire Bennet_

Sylar smiled. If he couldn't get the sister…the brother would work just as well.

* * *

(Carter Daniels, Linda Frey, Kelly Raegan and Hank Delpine- Detroit Michigan) 

"ON THE ROAD AGAIN! I JUST CAN'T WAIT TO GET ON THE ROAD AGAIN!"

Kelly frowned, covering her ears. "HANK! TURN THE RADIO DOWN!"

"What?!?"

"THE RADIO DOWN!"

"_Who's _a rodeo clown?"

Linda looked between the two of them. "Pooh's a flamboyant guy?"

"I don't hate the Jews, and I would never want them to die!" Hank shouted. "A guy's Christian and suddenly everyone calls him a nazi."

"Yea, Potsie on Happy Days was my favorite character too!" Linda called out.

"SHUT UP!" Carte screamed at the top of his lungs. The group looked at him, startled by the outburst, as he reached over and snapped the radio off. "Jesus Christ you people."

"Hey, watch it with the breaking of the Ten Commandments!"

"Oh lay off it God Boy." Carter snapped. "Bad enough you and me are stuck in this quest, and I have to censor my language to avoid all words that are emotions…you aren't taking the Lord's name from me. I'll fight you for it."

"Don't mind him. Carter gets cranky when he doesn't get a good night's sleep." Kelly said, returning to work on Linda's laptop. The teacher had brought it with them, in hopes that it would keep them up to date on any news. Namely, news about world-saving-events.

Linda had taken to the whole, "Let's save the world" task like a duck to water. Her first words after Carter had explained his powers were joy that she wasn't alone. When told that they needed to leave, Linda had said that Hank was Han Solo, Carter was Ben Kenobi, and she was Luke Skywalker. She'd then compared Kelly to R2, which resulted in a 20 minute debate on if robots could be gay.

Carter when he'd questioned her, Dr. Frey had said simply, "I superpowers, you have superpowers…next step is to form our own version of the Avengers and go fight Dr. Doom." She'd then smiled. "I'm not a complicated girl."

The emotion manipulator was brought out of his thoughts when Kelly squealed happily, clapping her hands. Hank nearly skid off the road, struggling to get the van back on track before he turned to glare at Kelly.

"What are you…"

"I found Hiro!"

"What?" Hank asked.

"Hiro…Hiro Nakamura! I found him!"

Linda looked over at the screen from her position in the back seat. "The Japanese guy that visited Hank?"

"That's the one." Kelly said. "I was searching online for travel sites when…I don't know, I just thought, 'Why not search Google for Hiro Nakamura?'. Sure enough, this pops up!" She turned the screen so Carter, who was sitting in the front seat, could see.

"A blog?"

"Hiro's Blog. It's all about how he can stop time and how he came to America."

"That doesn't prove that this is our Hiro." Hank said. "I mean…maybe Hiro Nakamura is a common name in Japan…like Joe Smith."

"What about this?" Kelly said, reading through a blog entry. "According to Hiro, he received a call from someone named Peter Petrelli, who said that a future version of Hiro…who had a sword…" Hank eyes grew wide at that little detail, remembering the katana Hiro had carried very well, "…and told him to…"

Carter frowned. "To what?"

Kelly licked her lips. "Save the cheerleader…save the world."

Linda's eyes grew wide. "Carter…you said you dreamed of saving a cheerleader…and Hiro told us to save the world…"

"It's a vision." Hank said softly. "A vision from God. Of what will come to pass."

Carter frowned. Somehow, that didn't sound right…but he would not argue it. Something in his gut told him though, that the dream was not a vision…more like a memory.

"I'm posting a message to Hiro." Kelly said more to herself then anyone. Linda, Carter and Hank gave her a look. "Don't worry, I'm keeping it vague, and not using my real name…not even letting on that any of us have powers. Heck, maybe this will give us some more insight if he actually responds. But guys…get this…Hiro says where he is going…he's heading towards New York." She looked up at Hank, smiling. "Hiro said that I would be the one to figure it out…tell us where to go. And how else would he have known…"

"Unless we began talking to him through his blog." Hank finished. He nodded to himself. "Alright guys…looks like we are going to New York."

* * *

Helena Daniels sat in the living room, holding her head in her hands. She could feel the headache growing stronger, making her feel dizzy. Of course, it didn't help that she had been crying for hours. Bennet's phone call from the day before continued to ring in her ears, mocking her. 

They had shot her son.

And now, he was missing.

According to Bennet, Carter had freaked out when that damn Haitian had tried to hollow out Kelly, who apparently knew all about Carter. He had used his powers against the Haitian, who had just recently been able to fight off the last remnants of the fear suggestion, only to get shot. Carter had turned on the other agent, then carried Kelly away…and now he was gone. Off the radar for 2 days.

He hadn't even come home.

'Does he know?' Helena thought, miserable. 'Does he know his own mother…'

Helena's head snapped up, her ears detecting someone moving around the house. In a fast, she was on her feet, hurrying towards her bedroom, following the noise. Her heart ached, hoping beyond hope her baby boy was home. Though, she felt it all the more likely that it was merely her husband, home early from work.

Coming upon her closed bedroom door, Helena frowned, confused. She never shut the door, so why would it…

'Smoke' Her mind cried, watching as gray smoke oozed from the bottom of the door. She heard movement, and her eyes grew wide. "Vic!" She screamed, ripping the door open and storming into the room. All around her, smoke clouded her vision, causing her to cough violently. Strangely she could feel no heat, hear no crackle of flames. "Vic!"

"Not quite." A voice called out. Helena turned, watching as the smoke began to dissipate, revealing a man dressed in black, covered head to toe, only his mouth visible. He wore goggles over his eyes, and the black facemask covered the rest of his features. But what was most startling was the gun he held pointed at Helena. "But this does concern him."

Helena braced herself, realizing it was useless to go for her own weapon. "You're one of them…aren't you?"

The man nodded. "Yes…I am one of them." His accent was French, and his words came out smoothly. "And I know all about you, Mrs. Daniels. My employer knows all about what you are do…and what you are planning."

The woman frowned. She was tired of the mindgames. "What do you want?"

The Frenchman smiled. "My employer has learned that your son has developed his powers…and he has proved quite powerful. He also knows that you have been instructed to capture your son, who is currently on the run." He paused, his tone growing serious. "Tell me Mrs. Daniels…do you love your family."

Helena gritted her teeth. "Do you think I want to take in m own son…"

"Answer the question."

"…yes, I love my family."

The Frenchman nodded, pulling out a photo. "That is very good then for your husband."

"My hus…" Helena stopped short, taking in the photo. It showed a dark haired man tied to a chair, bare-chested, bloody and beaten. He sat there, limp as a boned fish, head resting on his breast. Blood was everywhere, and Helena could make out a few nasty looking cuts along his stomach. "Vic." She whispered, before turning angry eyes towards the intruder. "What have you…"

"Your husband will recover. But let us get down to business." The Frenchman pulled the photo away. "You will continue as planned, chasing after your son. You will find him currently leaving the state. When you do capture him, you will take him in for medical treatment, and inform Mr. Bennet that Carter will not be seen for 3 days. On the second day, you will wheel Carter out of his room and out of the building. There, you will hand him over to me. When this is done, you will be given the location of your husband."

Helena glared at the man. "You expect me to sacrifice my son to save my husband? How…how can you ask me to do that?"

"You are prepared to sacrifice him for the good of your country. It seems not that far of a leap to sacrifice him for the man you love." The Frenchman paused. "Let me make this clear, Mrs. Daniels: Your son is to be alive and in near perfect health, with his memories in tact and his powers the same. If there is even the slightest thing done to him…" He smirked. "…normally, I would threaten your husband's life. But in this case…oh no. You see, that would be too easy." He didn't flinch as he watched Helena begin to cry. "We will break him…rape his body and mind until he is lost forever and left a shell of a man. And then…we will leave him in your home, for you to find…and to spend the rest of the days knowing that you are the reason he suffered." The intruder stood up. "Your son, whom you were ready to eliminate…or your husband…I do not think the choice will be hard. Good evening, Mrs. Daniels."

Before Helena could move, the man fired a blast of smoke from his mouth, blinding her. The woman coughed, covering her mouth and blinking wildly as she fought to state conscious.

Her last thought before darkness overtook her was a question:

'Who will I loss?'

* * *

Next Time, on Elsewhere: 

For over a week, Carter Daniels has come to gripes with his powers…

(We see Carter holding out his hand, the energy pooling around his fingers)

And gather together a team to save the world.

(We see Hank, Kelly and Linda standing alone in an empty field)

But as he races towards his destiny…

(We see the van passing the "Welcome to Ohio" sign)

He doesn't realize…

(The screen darkens)

That he is being hunted by all sides.

(We see flashes of Mr. Bennet, Helena, and the Frenchman)

And that before he can become a hero…

(We see Lee Malion and Galatea standing in his apartment, surrounded by drawings that begin to shake)

he will come face to face with a new evil.

(Galatea whips around, punching Linda and sending her flying into a table. Carter meanwhile leaps on the back of a burly man, whammying him)

But in the coming weeks…

(We see Carter enter an elevator, a man standing in there already looking right at him)

A brother…

(Carter is thrown through the top of the Elevator)

…will take his revenge.

(We see the man in the elevator panting as he stands on the roof of the elevator, only to scream as Carter grabs his head, letting out his own cry as he blasts all his power into his skull)

Carter: SYLAR!

(Carter screams again, firing another blast. The screen goes to black)

Elsewhere

_Hunted _

Coming January 22

* * *

And while you wait for the second half of the season to begin… 

(We see Hank sitting in a white padded room)

Learn the secrets of Elsewhere

(Hank looks up)

And read the scenes that took place before and between the story

????: Mr. Delpine…my name is Hiro Nakamura. I have a message…about Carter Daniels

Snapshots from Elsewhere The new drabble series

Starting next week as it's own seperate story on size1 width100 noshade

Author's note: To read Kelly's message on Hiro's Blog, go to (remove spaces) h t t p / b l o g s . n b c u n i . c o m / h i r o b l o g / 2 0 0 6 / 1 2 / f a i l u r e . p h p and do a Ctrl+F search for "Terry from Elsewhere"


	12. Godsend

Author's Note: for all of you that didn't read 'Snapshots from Elsewhere' like I advised, shame on you. Now, you should go back and read it, because it introduces the newest characters in Elsewhere.

* * *

_**(Two Weeks Later)**_

_(The Travelers: Carter Daniels, Hank Delpine, Linda Frey, & Kelly Raegan- Wadsworth, Ohio)_

"Is it fixed yet?"

"No."

"Is it fixed yet?"

"No!"

"Is it fixed yet?"

"NO!"

"Is it fixed yet?"

**"NO!"**

"…no need to get snippy about it."

Hank held his head in his hands. "Not that these last 2 weeks haven't been fun, but if you don't shut up, I'll get Carter to whammy you!"

Kelly stuck out her tongue. "He'd whammy you before me."

"Would not."

"I'm his best friend, you're the guy that beats him up."

"Use to beat him up." Hank snapped. "Things change when you share a hotel room with a guy for 14 days."

"Doesn't change the fact that I was with him during all the hard times…"

Carter looked over at Doctor Frey from his perch on the old truck. The impromptu road trip to New York had gone well…for about 6 hours. Stopping in Wadsworth, Ohio for the night, they had awoken the next day to find the van would not start. Pushing it to a mechanic, the man had told them that he could get it fixed easily…problem was getting the parts he needed to come in. Delays, wrong items being delivered, arguments over the phone…all of this left the group stuck in the middle of Ohio with nothing to do until the van was back and running.

"Remind me why we brought them again?" Carter asked.

Dr. Frey shook her head. "Play nice."

"Fine, _mom_." He said with a roll of his eyes. Carter paused, clenching his fist. "I need a mirror."

"You must have at least half a day left."

The young man shook his head. "Don't want to risk it…I wait too long, I get the shakes."

"How do we know this blasting yourself isn't giving you cancer or something like it?"

Carter shrugged. "If it is, then at least I die…you know." Linda looked at him over her sunglasses. "Fine! I'll wait till sundown."

"Thank you."

* * *

_(Madrid and Valencia Alverez- Hollywood, California)_

'Ok Madrid…focus.' Taking in a deep breath, Madrid 'Maddy' Alverez held out her hand, reaching out for the pillow. 'Think one…think one…think one…think one…'

Her hand shook a little as her fingertips neared the soft, cotton, pink throw pillow.

Several days ago, Madrid had been a normal 26-year-old woman. If, by normal, one meant she was the daughter of 2 famous actors who had been killed a few weeks ago in a bus explosion in Israel, she herself an actress, and now legal guardian of her 3 year old baby sister.

But even that could be considered normal, compared to her life now.

For a few days ago, Madrid had been out shopping with her friends, avoiding the 'stalker-azzi', when IT happened.

It being that she had held a diamond bracelet in her hands, only to duplicate it…create a copy of it in her other hand.

Then a copy of her bag.

And the doorknob to their house.

Luckily, she hadn't managed to make copies of things like the carpet of her bed. Seems that she could only do small things…for now.

At the moment, she was practicing on her favorite pillow. Three copies were laying beside her, evidence of her failure to focus and not activate this strange gift.

A normal person would have been freaking out. A normal person would have questioned their sanity.

But in Hollywood?

'Think one…think one…'

Her fingers ghosted over the surface.

Nothing.

"I did it." Madrid whispered. She ran her hand over the pillow again. "I did it…"

"MADDY!" Valencia shouted.

**POOM!**

"MADDY…" Vally shouted, opening the door…only to burst into laughter. "Pill-Os!" She leapt into the room, giggling as she swam through the hundreds of pillows that now surrounded her sister.

Madrid sighed., watching her sister play happily. 'Back to the drawing board.'

* * *

_(Lee Malion and Galatea- Boston, Massachusetts)_

Galatea frowned, looking around the neighborhood. "Why are we here, master?"

Lee smiled, patting his pet's head. "We are here because I want to say hello to someone. Now remember, don't call me master…call me Lee…or love…or some other cute name."

"Ok Lee!" Galatea giggled.

Knocking on the door, Lee waited for a moment, listening carefully for any movement.

"God damn girl scouts better not be pushing any of those cheap ass cookies on me! I swear to God, if they are I'll…"

The old man opened the door, pausing as he came face to face with Lee, who was smiling brightly.

"Hello dad!" Lee said with a laugh. "May we come in?"

"I thought I told you not to come here ever again."

Lee shrugged. "A son can't say hello to his father?"

"No." Bernie Malion said, shutting the door in his face.

Raising an eyebrow, the artist turn to his pet. "Galatea, open the door."

"But lover, we did what you said we would…you said hello? Can't we go have sex now?"

The young man shook his head. "Oh, I want to do a lot more then that. Open the door."

"Okay!" Galatea said happily, grabbing the doorframe and ripping it free from the house. "This good."

"Very." Lee said, strolling into the house. "oh daddy!" He called out, marching into the living room, his father standing up to confront him. "That wasn't very polite. I didn't get to introduce you to my new girlfriend. Say hello to Galatea."

Bernie looked the blonde bombshell up and down. "What ya do, pay her to come here, just so you could brag to me?"

"Of course not!" Galatea said with a giggle. "Me and some-other-cute-name are together. We have sex!"

Lee looked rather deadpan. "She's hot, but not that bright."

"No wonder she's with you." Bernie replied. "Only someone as dumb as her would go out with a disgrace like you."

"Is he insulting you?" Galatea asked.

"Yes."

"Oh." The recently made woman bent down and grabbed the loveseat, holding it above her head with ease. "Should he be squished?"

Lee put his finger to his chin. "I don't know…what do you think, dad? Want to go squish?"

Bernie backed away, eyes wide with fright. "What…what is she…"

"I've recently discovered some things about myself, dad. Things you thought were impossible…well, I've seen them happen. Hell, I've done some of them!" He laughed, running a hand along Galatea's firm ass. "Thing is, what with our falling out, you haven't gotten to hear about any of this." He took a step closer, eyes narrowing. "So I was thinking a friendly, father-to-son chat was in order." He nodded towards Galatea. "What do you think about that?"

* * *

_(Helena Daniels- Location Unknown)_

"No…no sign of Carter. I've looked at security tapes from the University, he doesn't show up there at all. He's been a ghost for the last two weeks."

"Then we have to assume he's fled." Bennet said from his end of the phone. "Finding him is our number one priority. With Sylar captured, Carter Daniels is the only current A Class person left free. We can not have him running a muck."

"Understood." Helena said.

There was a pause. "Has anyone else disappeared?"

"Kelly Raegan is gone too, sir. So are Dr. Linda Frey and Hank Delpine."

"Delpine…the man that beat Carter up?"

"Yes."

"Then…we must assume…"

Helena sighed. "…that Carter eliminated him."

"You are positive that Hank and Carter would not work together?"

"Positive."

"And this Dr. Linda Frey?"

Helena ran her fingers through her hair. "I believe she was had a hand in his escaping our agents."

Bennet clicked his tongue. "You need to spread your net out farther. Look for any reports of your son, Miss Raegan or Dr. Frey. I'll have homebase look into it here."

"Thank you sir."

"Don't worry…they'll slip up, and then…we got them."

* * *

"Come on Dr. Frey…" Hank whined. "I just want to go to bed!"

Linda rolled her eyes. "Listen, you 2 might be able to run on a few M&Ms and some Mountain Dew, but Carter and me need to replenish ourselves!"

Carter nodded, grabbing a slice of pizza from the warming and sliding it on a plate. Taking a bite, he moaned in pleasure. "I have been dreaming about this all day." Linda grinned, snacking on a microwaved burrito.

"And I'm dreaming about going to bed." Kelly muttered. "The van is fixed, tomorrow we can finally get back on the road, so grab your food and lets get the hell out of here."

_

* * *

"There are some that say there are no accidents. That everything happens for a reason. That every person, no matter how small, has a purpose. Every choice, a new path. Each person, and new chance. And though we can not understand at the moment…"_

* * *

"Fine." Dr. Frey, rolling her eyes. She pulled out a crumpled five and tossed it to the clerk. "Let's go…"

"NO BODY MOVE!"

All 4 of the travelers turned, jaws dropping as three men in facemasks and carrying guns stormed into the 7/11. "This is a robbery! I want all the money in the safe!"

"I can not open it…it is time sealed…" The clerk said.

The robbery leveled his gun at him. "Then I guess we wait till morning! You four, against the wall!"

* * *

"…_everything has a reason"_

_-Mohinder Suresh_

* * *

Kelly and Hank looked at Linda and Carter. Kelly dropped her head as she raised her hands.

"That better be the tastiest burrito…ever."


	13. The Fix

"There is a moment… where the path we have taken, the journey we've begun, finally reaches its end. And it does not matter if we wished to begin this journey in the first place…or if we dream of it never ending. Everything begins…everything ends."

-Mohinder Suresh

(The Travelers: Wadsworth, Ohio)

"How much longer?"

"If this guy ain't lyin' about the time that safe is suppose to open, then we got another 20 minutes."

"Good." Said the man who was apparently the leader of the group. "Everything still clear out there?"

The second man at the door nodded. "Not a soul in sight."

The leader nodded. "What about those 5?"

The third man, the one charged with watching the hostages, shrugged his shoulders. "Talking to themselves, but they ain't causing trouble."

"Talking?"

"Not like they can do anything, we frisked them for weapons. Let them talk. We get nervous, and we can make sure they ain't seen again."

The leader pulled him aside. "No." He hissed. "We get caught, we only face 5 to 10. We kill them, that's life. And I ain't rotting in prison. So keep your trigger finger from itching."

"What's to stop them from gang rushing us, then?"

The leader smirked. "We don't HAVE to tell them we ain't plannin' to kill them."

&&&

"I think they're talking about us." Linda muttered.

"Probably figuring out which one of us to rape, and which one of us to kill." Kelly said. "Either way, we're screwed."

"Pun intended." Carter added. His leg bounced up and down rapidly as he looked around their small section of the store. He paused at Hank, who had his head down, mumbling under his breath. "What are you…"

"…hallowed be thy name…"

"…are you praying?"

"Thy kingdom come…"

"He's actually praying." Carter exclaimed softly.

Linda shrugged. "Let him. What could it hurt?"

"Nothing…but I'd personally prefer it if he could help us get the hell out of here."

The clerk looked at the four. "Out? Are you mad? They are armed! Just let them take the money and leave."

"And you're assuming they will just let us go?" Kelly asked. "News flash…people who wait around 8 hours for a safe to open aren't playing with a full deck."

Linda nodded. "The longer a robbery, the more likely you have to cap the witnesses."

Kelly frowned. "You act like your speaking from experience."

"Uh…"

"This is getting us no where." Carter snapped. His head darted about quickly. "We need to be ready to deal with these idiots if they try anything."

"deal?" Linda asked. "You don't mean…"

"No whammy, no whammy…stop? Oh yea, I mean that."

Linda frowned. "Carter…you seem jittery…its almost time, isn't."

"Time?" The clerk asked.

"Of the month." Kelly supplied. "You do not want to see what he's like then…he gets all bloated and bitchy…"

"Hey, quiet down!" One of the robbery shouted. He pointed his gun at them. "This is a lot louder, but it will be for a second."

The group nodded quickly, adverting their eyes. Turning back to the leader, the robbery didn't notice the look the 4 friends shared.

&&&

(Maddy Alverez: Hollywood, California)

Maddy watched as her sister slept, peaceful, ignorant of just how screwed up their lives had gotten.

She had gone down to her parent's lawyer yesterday to talk to him…and the news hadn't been good.

&&&

"_What do you mean I'm broke!?!" _

_Allen Wiefrich cringed as the young woman leaned over his desk, practically screaming in his face. He had expected her to take the news hard…but he had hoped he would be able to finish the meeting without finding himself suffering bodily hard. At the moment…that looked like a pipe dream._

"_I'm sorry Miss Alverez…"_

"_I don't care about sorry!" She screeched. "I care about the fact that my money has been stolen!"_

"_It hasn't been stolen." Mr. Wiefrich said. "It just isn't there."_

"_The definition of STOLEN!" Maddy screamed, slamming her fists into the desk. _

_The lawyer shook his head. "I am sorry Miss Alverez. If you would just let me explain…"_

_Madrid began to pace back and forth, running her fingers through her hair. "Ok…ok…you want to try and explain to me…exactly where the millions upon millions my parents made…went?"_

_Allen shifted uneasily. "It seems that your parents were living too rich for their good. They were donating so much money…I guess…"_

"_Are you saying…my parents gave away all the money they had to needy people in third world countries?"  
_

_Her lawyer nodded. "I'm sorry…I know this is hard…but think of all the good that money did for those people."_

"_Screw those people!" Madrid screamed. "I'm trying to raise a 3 year old. Do you realize just how expensive those cute little overalls are?!"_

"_Calm down, Miss Alverez!"_

"_Calm down…calm down…." Maddy screamed as she stormed out of the office. "I have no money….I BROKE, BITCH!" _

_SLAM!_

"…_well…" Allen muttered to himself. "That went better then I expected."_

&&&

Madrid sniffed, forcing herself not to cry as she sat down next to her sister, stroking her hair as the little girl dreamed. 'Oh God…how am I suppose to do this…I'm not ready to be a mom…I'm not ready to worry about money and making bag lunches and handling a household. I'm not ready…I'm not ready to do this on my own!'

"Maddy?" Vally whispered, opening her eyes. "Maddy…wat's wong?"

The young actress gathered her sister in her arms, hugging her tight as she collapsed onto the bed, sobbing slightly. "Nothing's wrong…nothing's wrong…everything will be ok…everything will be ok…"

&&&

(Lee Malion, Galatea: Boston, Massachusetts)

Lee lifted the dollar bill from the album, examining it carefully. Holding it to the light, he viewed the piece with a critical eye.

"A confederate dollar, in mint condition. Perfect texture, preserved for years. This must cost…thousands of dollars." Lee smiled to himself…

…before he lit it on fire.

"No!" His father cried out, struggling to stand up. Galatea pressed down, her fingers digging into his shoulder and causing him to whimper. "Please…"

Lee shrugged. "Sorry dad…I just can't help myself." He flipped open a second album. "All you ever cared about were your coins. We couldn't take mom to the doctor when she go sick…but oh, we could afford to buy a 1902 penny. Galatea…" he tossed the piece to her, and she pressed down, twisting it into scrap. "I nearly starved that first year in that crummy apartment with no heat and rats the size of toasters, but hey, you could afford to buy this bill signed by Richard Nixon!" He ripped said bill to shreds, ignoring his father as he broke down in tears, his life's work destroyed. 'He never cared enough to cry about me…I was always the disappointment!' He threw the album into a trash can and lit it on fire. 'Doesn't even know me…doesn't know anything about my dreams, my loves, my fears…oh, but he can tell you this coin was minted in 1939, right before the war!' He threw it in the fire. 'or that this one costs 100 dollars! Or this one was minted in Pennsylvan…'

Lee froze as he stared up at the penny, the little 'P' engraved on it seeming to wink at him. His mind called back information he'd long forgotten, now crystal clear.

'It would work…'

He turned to Galatea, who stood waiting for her next command.

"Knock him out." Lee said harshly, locking eyes with his father as Galatea punched the back of his skull. This dad fell back, out cold, as Lee tipped the burning garbage can over. "oh no, Galatea, I just spilt all that fire on the carpet. We better go."

"Okay!" She said happily, following him as floor began to burn. "Where are we going now?"

"Home." Lee said, holding the penny. "I need to get drawing…"

&&&

"$13 dollars!?!" One of the robbers screamed. "We held up here for $13 lousy dollars!?!"

"Would you call down?" The leader screamed. "Let's just get…"

But the third robber had already grabbed the clerk and begun to shake him. "Why didn't you tell us you had only $13?!?"

"Didn't…know…" He gasped out.

"Oh, you didn't know…he didn't know…" The man pointed his gun at the clerk's head. "Little rat set this up…"

The leader grabbed his hand. "What did I tell you about killing?!?"

The third robber nodded. "you're right." He spun around, blasting a hole through the first robber's head.

"AAAA!" Kelly screamed, scooting back.

Hank did the sign of the cross. "God have mercy."

"Never liked him anyway." The third robber muttered. The second robber stared at him in shock, but turned around when he found the gun pointed at him. "What?" The second one turned back, looking out for cops, ignoring what was about to happen behind him. "Now then…" The third man said, turning back to the clerk. "I just wasted my night because of you…I think I deserve reimbursement." His lip twitched up. "My pound of flesh…as it were."

"Please…" The clerk whispered, closing his eyes, shaking as he felt the gun barrel pressed against his forehead.

The burglar shrugged. "Sorry…nothing personal…"

"Let him go."

The two robbers turned to find Carter and Linda standing before them, tensed and ready to fight. Linda's eyes darted around the 7/11, searching for…something. But Carter was solely focused on the man with the gun. Hank had shoved Kelly aside, using his body as a shield.

"Playing hero, are we?" The man asked, turning the gun on Carter.

"Yea, I am." Carter said softly, his hands beginning to glow. The burglar lowered his weapon, staring in shock.

"What the hell are you?"

"Me? I'm PANIC!"

Thrusting his palms out, he sent a wave of energy right at the burglar, startling him and causing him to cry out as he was hit. Carter raced forward, grabbing the clerk.

"Get to safety…go!" He yelled, his eyes flicker silver, the same color as the energy pooling in his hands.

Meanwhile, the second gunman had turned around, shocked to find his partner on the ground, trembling. "What the hell?"

"Hey!" Linda shouted, eyes blue as she focused on the Slushie machine. With a groan, the watery drink burst free, spraying into the burglar's eyes. She focused, and smiled as she sensed the water pipes below them. Her head moved up just a tad, and the pipe burst, sending a geyser up and slamming her opponent off his feet and onto the floor.

"Dread! Fear!" Carter shouted after each punch, fists crashing into the murderer's face. He was whimpering now, trembling as Carter continued the assault. "Terror!" he roared, clamping his hands on the man's head and giving it all he had, every once of his strength The man went limp, out cold, as Carter staggered back.

"Carter!" Linda cried out, rushing to him. She caught his arm, steadying him. "Carter…"

"I'm fine…just…over did it…" He said, neither noticing as the robber Linda had faced lifting his gun…

BANG! BANG!

Carter and Linda whipped around, staring at Hank and Linda. The two were holding the weapons dropped by the other robbers, staring down the second crook as he fell to the floor, blood from the twin shoulder wounds leaking onto the floor.

Hank grabbed Kelly's gun and began to wipe it down. "We need to go, now. The van should be waiting, and I don't think we want to explain this to the cops…" Doing the same for his gun, he tossed them aside. He ran towards the door, turning to look at them. "Come on!"

The 3 nodded, and raced out of the store.


	14. Distractions

(The Travelers- Somewhere in Pennsylvania)

Silence.

It dominated the van, the group all lost in thought. They had driven for several hours the day before, but the lack of sleep had been too much for them. The 4 had been forced to find a hotel, and had bunked down for the rest of the day the following night, their sleep dreamless.

The next morning found them driving again, but they were still lost in their thoughts, unwilling or unable to talk about what had happened 24 hours ago. It was strange to think about how so much had changed in such little time. Even considering the fact that the four of them were on the run from a mysterious organization; or the fact that Carter could control people's emotions and Linda manipulate water.

For Hank and Kelly, 24 hours ago they had merely been passengers on this trip, brought along because they could help the two super powered beings in their escape. Even with Hiro's comment that they would, 'Save the World', neither had actually believed it.

Now, the two of them had been involved in a hold-up…one in which they had killed a man. It had been a matter of self-defense…but still, they had killed a man.

The act had shaken them both in different ways. For Kelly, it was shook that she could do such a thing. Living in Flint, her father a police officer, Kelly Raegan knew that sometimes, the only choice you had was kill or be killed. But that didn't mean she was ready to do the killing. She was a reporter…she didn't get involved with the story, become the story…she was just suppose to observe…

For Hank Delpine, he faced a different question: Had there been another way? God preached love and tolerance…yet he also knew that God smote the wicked. But Hank was not God. Who was he to say who deserved to live and who deserved to die? What right did he have? And what frightened him more…would God forgive him?

Dr. Linda Frey was disturbed for her own reasons. This had been the first time in over 10 years that she had be involved with a robbery. Not since she had left Las Vegas, since she had last seen DL and Niki…had Linda been anywhere near a crime.

And for the first time, she wasn't the one robbing the store.

It was a weird full-circle type feeling. Coming back to what she had been, to what she was now. She hadn't even thought about how much she had changed…how she had transformed from the young teen, knocking off grocery stores to pay of a cocaine habit, selling her body so she could afford the bullets needed to protect herself on the strip…to the brilliant young professor, shaping young minds and more worried about her stock options then where her next meal was coming from.

And as she drove the van deeper away from her foster home…she wondered if she was driving back to her past…or into her future.

Amazingly, it was Carter Daniels that was least disturbed by the turn of events. He did not seem shocked by what had happened, or saddened. Around him…an air of acceptance hung.

It was he that broke the silence.

"When I was a young boy, meeting my adopted parents for the first time…my father, he asked me what I wanted to be. I remember him asking…did I want to fight fires? Did I want to cure diseases? Did I want to fly in space?

"I said "no". I knew what I wanted to be, and it wasn't anything like that. My dreams, they were grander then anything my father could believe. I told him, "I want to be a hero, Mr. Daniels- I use to call him that, before I got to know my adopted parents- I want to save the world." You would have thought he would have laughed, made light of that. But he just knelt down next to me and said, "Carter, you can be whatever you want to be…if you try hard enough, anything is possible." That's what my father told me.

"And he was right. If you open your mind to it, you can achieve anything. It doesn't matter how unlikely…you will get what you desire." Carter grew silent, a smile creeping onto his face. "I know what I want to be…what I was born to be…I want to be a hero."

The van remained silent, as everyone processed what the young man had said.

"Carter?" Linda finally said, something dawning on her.

"What?"

"It's been over 3 days since you last whammied yourself."

Carter froze, looking down at his hand. It had been. Had it really been that long since he had last commanded himself to be confident and courageous? Had he gone this long without breaking into a stuttering fit? Surely, by know, the effects of his powers should have worn off. They always did…until now.

"Carter…" Kelly asked, "…what does that mean?"

"I don't know." Carter replied. "I don't really know."

&&&

(Madrid Alverez- Hollywood, California)

"I'll give you 30 bucks."

Maddy raised an eyebrow.

"Is there a problem?"

"I am waiting to the part where you go, "Just kidding, I will pay you 3000 bucks."."

The pawn shop owner looked at her, then back down at the diamond bracelet. "40 dollars, and you can have this TV."

The actress shook her head. "I don't need a TV."

"Fine, then just the 40 bucks." The heavy set man punched in a few numbers on his old fashion cash register, the machine dinging as the tray slide out. Grabbing two dirty twenties, he thrust the bills out towards her. "There you go."

"You're kidding, right?"

"Honey, do I look like a man that tells knock knock jokes?" The pawnshop owner's shook his head. "Listen, I like you…I can tell that you are brand new to this sort of thing. So, tell ya what…let me let you in on the taxes you have to pay."

"Taxes?" Madrid asked, face scrunched up.

The man nodded. "First off, I believe you that this bracelet is the real deal. I've seen enough of the knock off stuff to know when I am being scammed, and you are tellin' me the truth. So, we start with 3000 dollars. Now, there must be a reason you don't want to sell this on ebay or to a real jeweler, so you have to pay a Stolen Goods Tax. That's 700. Yea then have the Odd Item Tax…it runs you 250, as it will be real hard for me to sell this then off. Oh, and a 10 dollar tax…that's for me to cover, duh, legal taxes."

"That…still leaves me with 2040 dollars." Madrid said after a moment.

"Oh, did I forget the 'You're Madrid Alverez, and if you don't want my talking to the tabloids, you'll pay me $2000 to shut me up' tax?" The pawn dealer laughed. "Always forget that one." He leaned over the counter. "Listen sweetie…I liked your dad's movies. Shame he had to die. Same with your mom. But do you really want your pretty face in some dirt mag, talking about how you have to pawn your jewelry off? Trust me…they can make it look like that money is going to more then just groceries." He pulled back. "Well?"

Madrid glared at the man, before reaching into her purse and pulling out 6 more bracelets. "That will be 280, right?"

The man grinned, putting the twenties away and grabbing 3 hundred-dollar bills. "Keep the change." Madrid snatched the bills from his hand. "Geez…show some kindness…not like money grows on trees."

Madrid paused, squeezing the bills with her right hand…and producing duplicates in her left.

"Not exactly on trees." She said, hiding her smile as she left the shop. "But pretty close."

&&&

(Lee Malion-Boston, Massachusetts)

"You're what?"

Lee grinned as he tossed the apple in the air. "Quitting."

"Lee…is this some kind of joke?"

"No joke." The graphic artist said. "no joke at all."

Lee's boss shook his head. "Listen…if this is about that poster, I'll admit it: I pushed you. I should have let you take your time." He held up his hand. "The guard told me about what happened…I'm not angry. Infact, I looked over the new one, and it is amazing."

"Its not about that." Lee said. "Though…glad to know you liked the poster."

"I did…was thinking about giving you a raise…set you up with some of our bigger clients."

Lee was surprised by that, pausing for a moment, only to return to throwing the apple. "Listen, I am glad to hear that…but I just can't do this anymore."

"Why not, Lee…I thought you loved drawing."

"Oh, I do." The man said. "Thing is, I got this new girlfriend. She and I, we spent some time together this last month…"

"So that's why you asked for the vacation." The boss said with a wide grin. "Man…she must be one pretty girl to get you to take off work."

Lee nodded. He had always liked his boss. A bit to worried about deadlines, that was for sure, but a good guy to work for. 'Yea, we fought from time to time…' Lee thought as he sat down in the guest chair, '…but you always was fair. Hee…I'm actually going to miss you, Mr. Reynolds.'

Tuning back into the conversation, Lee grinned, taking a big bite of the apple. "The thing is, me and her got talking, and I realized that while I love working here…there I so much more I could be doing. All these different avenues…" He leaned forward. "I've conquered the world of posters and CD covers. I want to try something else?"

"Like what?" His boss asked, genuinely interested. "Painting?"

"Not quite…there is no poetry in that. No…I have some more eccentric plans. Plans I can't pursue while working here."

Mr. Reynolds nodded. "I can accept that…barely, but I can." He stood up, shaking Lee's hand. "I'll miss you Malion."

"And me you." Lee said. The artist turned towards the door, hand on the knob. Just as he turned it, Reynolds' voice caused him to pause.

"Lee…you mind me asking what your big eccentric plan is?"

The graphic artist turned, his smile just a little to broad.

"Coins…it involved coins."

&&&

"Bathroom, bathroom, bathroom…"

Hank, Linda and Carter moved out of the way, letting Kelly rush through the doors of the rest stop. She dashed past the people in line for McDonalds, and ducked into the lavatory, practically squealing in delight. She had been crossing her legs for the last few hours, trying to hold it in. But Kelly wasn't exactly in the mood to wet one of the 6 clean pairs of panties she had brought.

The other three stood around the door, waiting for Kelly to get done. Hank pulled the hood of his sweatshirt up over his head, Linda turned towards the wall to study a map, and Carter tried to stay in the shadows.

They had learned in Wadsworth that Linda, Kelly and Carter's pictures were all over the news, or had been, at least. Apparently, Carter's parents had notified the police that he'd run off, and someone had connected the dots. They knew Linda and Kelly were connected to his disappearance, that they were with him.

'Of course, they assumed all three of us are lovers.' Carter thought to himself. 'Granted, I've had some dreams revolving around that…' He shook his head, riding himself of those thoughts. Instead, he focused on Hank. 'Thank God no one's figured out he's missing.' Hank had told the Christian League to make it look like he was going to study at a church in Nebraska, getting hands-on experience. That would buy him a month at least. They weren't thinking about what would happen after that.

They weren't even thinking about what would happen next week, let alone months from now.

"Ahhh!" Kelly exclaimed, walking towards them, her face happy and bright. "I feel all better." She paused. "Can I get a Big Gulp?"

"NO!" All three of her traveling friends shouted.

"Spoil sports." She muttered, crossing her arms.

"Come on." Hank said. "Let's getting moving before…"

"What the hell?!" Linda said, pointing past Hank.

The group turned just in time to watch a cloud of black smoke blast through one of the entryways. People were scrambling, trying to outrun the blast, but it was moving to quick. It overtook them, enveloping them and hiding them from the rest of the now panicking crowd.

"MOVE!" Carter shouted, turning, making ready to high tail it out the door…

…only to find the cloud already there.

"COUGH!"

"Hank!"

"Kelly!"

"Guys!"

"Carter?"

"Dr. Frey, where are you?"

"Follow my voice."

"COUGH!"

"Guys?!"

As suddenly as it appeared, the smoke began to clear, blasting out of the rest stop and into the night. People all over were struggling to take in fresh breaths of air, clear their lungs of the dark smoke that had overcame them.

Hank was on his knees, panting hard. Kelly was nearby, eyes burning, rubbing them with her shirt.

"Everyone ok?" Linda asked.

"I'm fine." Hank managed to get out.

"Me too." Kelly said.

Silence.

"Carter?" Linda called out. The professor stood up, looking about the area. "Carter, where are you?"

"Carter?" Kelly called out. "This isn't funny!"

Hank was panting harder now…but for a much different reason. "Daniels! Where are you? Daniels!!"

&&&

Up on the hill, on the opposite side of the road from the rest stop, the man known only as Seth looked down at the young man slung over his shoulder, before making his way into the night.

Author's Note: First off, to all the readers that haven't been reviewing…shame, shame, shame. Authors live off your reviews. Every time you give a nice long review, you will receive exclusive information, questions answered, and hints at what is to come.

Every time you don't, a puppy is killed.

Review this week, and learn the origin of this story, and the what Carter was originally suppose to be.


	15. Run!

"Ugh…"

"Wake up."

"Ugh…The Grimace…with Milli Vanilli's dreadlocks…"

"…What the…?"

"Whoopi Goldberg and Grizzly Adams….smoking reefer with Korean midgets…."

"Wake up!"

SLAP!

(Carter Daniels-Location Unknown.)

"OW!" Carter shouted, snapped out of his dreams. "What the hell!" He blinked taking in his surroundings. He was in a small concrete building, florescent light beaming down on him. He pulled at the ropes that held him fast to the chair that that been bolted to the ground, finding no slack whatsoever. His cheek stung from where he had been struck, and arms hurt from the awkward position they were in.

Standing in front of him was another man, at least 30 years old, dressed all in black. Black shoes, black pants, black shirt, black gloves, even a black mask and black goggles. He showed no skin, a study in darkness.

"What…the hell?" Carter said once more, utterly confused. He looked down at his hand. "Panic…"

Nothing.

"Your powers are nullified, as long as we are in this room." The man in black stated.

Carter closed his eyes. One moment he had been standing with Hank, Linda and Kelly, the next he was trapped in some box with the Johnny Cash wannabe. "If you are going to sodomize me, can you at least use some lotion?"

The figure in black cocked his head to the side, studying Carter for a moment. "You Americans are a strange bunch."

"Great!" Carter said, staring up at the lights. "I am going to get sodomized, and it is by a French Guy."

Seth shook his head. "I should have kept you asleep. When you mumble then, I could somewhat follow it." Seth walked behind Carter, rummaging through some boxes that remained out of the student's eye line. "If you allow me to do this, then you can be returned to your friends."

"Sod-and-go?" Carter asked. "no cuddle afterward?"

Seth groaned. "I am not going to sodomize you." He shook his head. "I see your powers have developed quickly since they were first activated."

"Powers?" Carter asked. "You mean…"

"Yes Mr. Daniels…I know much about you. I know you have the ability to manipulate the emotions of others. I know this came about during an attack lead by Mr. Delpine. I know that your friend Linda has powers. And I even know that your powers have begun to change. You have found that, when applied enough times, your commands can hold. Hence you lack of a st-st-stutter." Seth leaned down, smiling through his mask. "I also know things you have no clue about, Mr. Daniels."

"is that so?" Carter asked.

"Yes." Seth replied. "Tell me…what do you know about your family? Your biological family?"

&&&

(Lee Malion and Galatea- The Massachusetts Border)

"Take a'look at my girlfriend, she's the only one I got. Not much of a girlfriend, never seem to get a lot."

Lee and Galatea bobbed their heads back and forth, getting into the rhythm of the music. The sun was shining, it was a warm despite being the end of October, and trees still had some of their leaves left. Lee was driving in a vintage car with a girl at his side and Gym Class Heroes blaring on the radio. Behind him was an uncaring father, a ratting apartment, and friends he could barely call friends. Before him was the open road, leading to his destiny.

Life could not get any better.

HONK HONK!

Pausing the CD, Lee looked in his rearview mirror, smirking as the driver behind him laid on the horn, motioning for him to move. Motioning being the nice word…more like flipping him off and screaming at him to speed up.

"I think that man is mad at you, Master." Galatea said.

"I think he is too. Lets not keep him waiting." Lee turned on his blinker and began to move into the other lane. Why the man behind him didn't think to do that…"Roll down your window, ok baby?"

"Sure." Galatea said, lowering her window, the wind slapping across her face as she did so. "Why?" She asked.

Lee shrugged, watching as the driver behind him raced forward, pulling up next to them and giving them the finger. "Learn to drive!" The stocky, balding tub of lard shouted.

"Galatea, would you be so kind as to grab onto his door?"

"Ok!" She said, reaching out and snagging the other car's frame. Her fingers dug into the metal like it was butter, and the other driver stared in horror as she got a good grip.

"Uh oh, is that a squirrel?" Lee asked.

"Don't hit the squirrel!" Galatea squealed.

"Ok." He replied, stomping on his brakes. Galatea's arm jerked slightly as they skid to a stop, but she managed to keep her hold of the other car. Just as Lee had predicted.

What he hadn't predicted was that the other driver wasn't wearing a seat belt.

He and Galatea watched as the man was flung through the windshield, body twisting in the air. The man let out a horrific scream, silenced as he struck the asphalt, body skidding to a stop. Lee's eyes widen as he saw the body twitch once…twice…then go limp.

"Wow." Galatea whispered, gulping.

"Yea…we…we really should so something." Lee said. Licking his lips, the artist reached down…and hit the play button on the CD player.

"Take a'look at my girlfriend, she's the only one I got. Not much of a girlfriend, never seem to get a lot."

&&&

(Linda Frey, Hank Delpine, and Kelly Raegan-Pennsylvania)

"He's no where." Linda said with a sigh. "I…I checked every place I could think of…Carter's gone."

"Someone took him." Hank said. "Probably the same person that sent that smoke."

Kelly frowned. "The person that sent the smoke?"

Hank rolled his eyes. "Carter can whammy people, Dr. Frey can make tidal waves…you find it hard to believe someone can make smoke?"

"Well, sorrrrrrrrrry!" Kelly snapped. "Didn't mean to make a mistake in front of your lordship."

"Hey, don't snap at me. If you had been able to hold your Big Gulps…"

"Hey, if you had not hit that pot hole and rattled the van's engine…"

"ENOUGH!" Linda shouted, placing a hand on both their shoulders. "This isn't helping Carter!" She looked at the two of them. "Now, will you behave?"

Kelly and Hank shifted. "yea." They mumbled.

"good. Now, lets get something to eat, and begin looking outside for clues.

&&&

"Your mother and father never told you anything of your birth parents, did they?" Seth asked.

"No. They…they said they had never found anything out about them."

The Frenchman raised an eyebrow. "Is that what they told you?" Before Carter question what Seth meant by that, his kidnapper spoke again. "Yours is an interesting family, Mr. Daniels. Very interesting. You see, there are several powerful families in the world, families me and my associates have been keeping an eye on. When I say powerful, I mean not by wealth or standing…but by what makes you and I special.

"You are the last scion of two powerful bloodlines. Your mother is Meredith Gordon, who possesses the ability to create fire with a mere thought. She had you when she was merely a child herself, and gave you up for adoption. You were taken in by the Daniels family, your name changed, in hopes of protecting you."

"Protecting?" Carter questioned.

"Yes. There are people out there that feel that you are the key to many things that are about to happen. Power attracts many sorts. To insure that you would not be hunted down, you were placed in the care of Vic and Helena Daniels, your legacy hidden, even from you. Good thing…considering that already your siblings have been targeted."

"My…siblings?"

"Half sisters. One on each side. Your mother had an affair with a young man and produced your younger sister…"

"Claire." Carter whispered. "Her name is Claire…she…she can heal…and…she was attacked." He closed his eyes, remembering back, 2 weeks ago, to the terrible dream, of the cheerleader he had dreamt about. The teen he had felt the connection to instantly.

Seth raised an eyebrow under his mask. "Yes, she was. A man named Sylar, who knows how to steal the powers of others, has taken interest in her, for she, like you, is the scion of two bloodlines. The Gordons, and the Petrellis." He sighed. "Ironic…Sylar touches you from both family trees."

"What do you mean?" Carter demanded.

Seth shook his head. He had little time, and he had to tell Carter so much more. "Your real name is Carter Bryant Ellis. Your father never knew of your existence, and even if he did, he would not have cared. He has fathered many children, including your older half sister, Sarah Ellis, otherwise known as Eden McCain. She was of interest to us, because her power was similar to yours: She could give commands people could not resist…even demand that your heart stop. We felt that she might be a sign of what you may become."

"You…said was." Carter said softly. "Is she…"

"Dead. She was attacked by Sylar…she sacrificed her life to insure Sylar could never use her powers against others. I am sorry." He looked down at Carter, and was startled by the anger he saw radiating from the young man.

"Don't feel sorry for me or my sisters." He struggled against the restraints. "Feel sorry for Sylar when I get my hands on him."

Seth ran his hand along the top of his head. He had not expected that reaction for Carter. This was definitely not the young man he had been observing all these years.

"I have something for you, Mr. Daniels." Seth said, going back to the boxes and rummaging through them. After a moment, he found what he was looking for, and returned to Carter's line of vision. He held up a worn black leather trench coat for the young man to see. "This belonged to your great grandfather, Isaiah Ellis. He was one of the greatest gunman in the American West. Mainly because of his power, the ability to lock onto any person, making his shots always true. Your…sister Sarah wore a similar one."

Carter looked at the piece of clothing, his heart thudding a little harder. In just a few hours, he had gone from having no clue about his lineage to learning of his family tree, of two sisters stalked by a man named Sylar, and now…an actual link to his birth family.

"What is that…on the back?" Carter asked, pointing to the strange white designed them seemed to be faded into the leather. It was an S, with one extra arm sticking out to the right and two extra arms on the left.

Seth nodded. "That is a mystery all in of itself. Legend says that your Great Grandfather was in a lightning storm when he was struck, this symbol burn into it. Since then, it has been known in some circles as the Mark of Ellis." The Frenchman laid the coat on Carter's lap.

"Why…why did you do this? Why kidnap me? Block my powers? Tell me of my past then give me a coat?"

Seth walked around him. "We have our reasons." Before Carter could ask what he meant, Seth struck him on the back of the neck with the butt of a revolver, knocking him out. "You still have a part to play, Mr. Daniels. Your mother is out there…and she needs to bring you in. As long as you hold your love to her, you will never be able to understand what we want. Only when you realize the truth of who she is will you be more open to our cause…and only then will we be able to truly make you one of us."

&&&

(Madrid and Valencia Alverez- Hollywood, California)

Madrid looked up from her plate, smiling as her little sister dug into the spaghetti with a passion. She even didn't mind that the little girl was getting more food on her shirt then in her mouth. Vally was babbling happily about this and that, about all the games she had played and what Elmo had done on Sesame Street.

"An' he an' Cookie Mon'stir, they went gave Big Biwd the real cookie, and they laughed so hawd!" Vally giggled to herself.

"I bet that was really funny." Madrid said.

"It was Maddy!" Vally said with a grin. "it was!"

Madrid watched her sister drink from the sippy cup. 'How could I have ever thought it would be ok to leave her? How could I be so stupid and selfish…' Vally looked up at her sister, startled that her sister was near tears. Madrid sniffed, forcing the water works away. 'I ignored her for so long…even when mom and dad were alive, I ignored her. Thought she was just the annoying sister I never wanted…oh God, I've been a terrible big sister!'

"Maddy?" Vally asked. "What wong?"

Madrid took in a shaky breath. "Nothing…just realized something…"She shook her head. 'seems like all I do is cry nowadays.'

"What?" Vally asked, upset that her sister was upset.

"Come here." Madrid said, opening up her arms. Vally rushed around the table and crawled into her sister's lap. "I know I haven't always been there for you. That I wasn't the best big sister I could be. But…I'm going to change that. What do you say you and me go out and have a Maddy and Vally Fun Day? Go shopping, get lots of candy, go to the movies and the park."

"Weally?" Vally asked, eyes bright and sparkling.

"Really." Madrid said. "The first of many Maddy and Vally Fun Days. Just you and me, taking on the world."

Vally wiggled around happily. "Yay!" She squealed. "Fun Day, Fun Day!" She paused, growing serious, or as serious as a 3 year old could get. She twisted so she was facing Madrid. "Maddy? You a good big sister." She wrapped her arms around her neck. "I wuv you."

Madrid couldn't stop the tears from falling now. "I love you too, Vally."

&&&

"It's getting to dark!" Hank said. "We won't find anything if we can't see. And even if there is a clue, we're just as luckily to destroy it stomping around out here!"

The three of them were standing on top of the hill that sat on the other side of the rest stop. They had been carefully looking for hours for any sign of Carter, to no avail. They had already checked behind the building, but there was nothing by parking lot and semi trucks. They had decided to check the hill, then call it a night, looking at the field behind the parking lot in the morning.

"Five more minutes." Linda said. "Then we'll…"

"Look!" Kelly shouted. All three of them watched in amazement as a massive cloud of smoke raced along the highway, overtaking the road before climbing steadily up the hill. "Brace yourselves!"

In an instant, they were overtaken, coughing once more as the black smoke swirled around them. Then, just like before, it was gone, leaving them all where they stood…

"There are those that we will always turn to, those that we will always seek comfort from. When darkness is on our doorstep, when evil enters our lives, there are those that we will always run to. And when they are gone…the only thing we can hope for, is that they will return to us someday."

-Mohinder Suresh

…and Carter Daniels out cold beside them, dressed in a long black leather coat.

Author's Note: This time, if you review, you will learn how the DC Comic Universe relates to Elsewhere. Also, make sure to read Snapshots…because this week, a new ability will be discovered.


	16. Unexpected

"What dat say?"

"Pancakes."

"And dat?"

"Waffles."

"And dat?"

"Coffee."

"oh…what dat say again?"

"Pancakes."

(Madrid and Valencia Alverez-Los Angles, California)

"I want pancakes." Vally told the waitress, flashing her a bright grin. Madrid had awaken her sister at 7 am, got her washed and dressed in her best play clothing. Today was Maddy and Vally Fun Day, and to start it off, Madrid had driven the both of them to Los Angles for breakfast. They were currently seated in a discrete restaurant, picking out what they wanted.

"What kind of pancakes?"

Vally's frowned. "Wat you mean?"

"We have 10 different kinds of pancakes."

Vally's eyes grew wide. She slowly turned to her big sister, tugging on her sleeve. "There are _diff'ent _types?!?"

The waitress nodded. "Yup. We have Chocolate Chip, Blueberry, Strawberry, Carmel, Banana, Apple, Vanilla Chip, Whip Cream, Double Chocolate, and Plain."

Vally stared at her sister in shock, before crying out. "Why you not tell me 'bout dis!"

Maddy laughed, running her fingers through Vally's hair. "Sorry, sweetheart. Tell you what…we'll get one of each, and you can sample them all, ok?"

"Ok!" Vally exclaimed happily. She scrunched up her brow. "Coco?"

"Of course. She's have a warm coco," Maddy leaned towards the waitress. "Room temperature." Her voice got louder. "And I'll have a coffee."

"That's ten pancakes, a coffee, and coco. Be here in 5 minutes." The waitress left, leaving the two sisters to chat.

"What do you want to do next?" Madrid asked, watching Vally color on the placemat. "The toy store? The park?"

"Toy store, park." Vally said, little tongue peaking out of her mouth as she scribbled a picture.

"Toy Store it is." Maddy said with a grin. The young woman looked up, then over at a waitress. "I need to put some more money in the meter…can you watch her?'

"Sure thing." The older woman said, smiling as Vally ran the crayon along her paper.

"Stay here, ok?"

"ok!" Vally said, never looking up. Madrid nodded, hurrying out of the restaurant and towards the meter. Vally continued to work on her picture, absorbed in her only little world.

"Can I get a cup of coffee and a bagel?" Matt Parkman asked, stepping up to the counter. The waitress nodded, and began to get his order ready.

'Ask him…ask him…' Matt turned around and looked at to the little girl seated in the booth by herself, coloring away. He frowned, wondering what she wanted to ask him, and what to do about it. Just because he read her thoughts didn't mean he was allowed to approach her.

'But what if she needs your help?' His conscious questioned. Matt put the best kind smile he could muster on and turned towards the little girl. "Do you want to ask me something?"

Vally didn't look up from her coloring. "Wat you do?" She asked, still scribbling.

"What can…you mean what's my job?" Matt asked. "I'm a police…"

"Wat you do?" Vally asked again. "Can you fwy?"

Matt stared at the little girl in shock, chuckling weakly. "Wait…what do you mean…people can't fly."

"Yes they can." Vally said. "Do you?"

Matt gulped. "No…no I don't fly."

"But you're special." Vally said simply, never looking at him. "So wat you do?"

"How do you know I'm special?" Matt asked.

Vally looked up, and Matt almost let out a girlish scream. Vally's eyes were glowing pink, pulsing slightly as she took him in.

"'cause I'm special too." She replied simply

"Vally!" Madrid said, walking towards the table. Vally shook her head, the glow fading. "What did I tell you about talking to strangers."

Vally hung her head. "Sowwy."

"Its ok." Madrid turned to Matt. "Sorry…she didn't…"

"No." Matt said quickly. "She wasn't a bother." He grabbed his coffee and bagel, throwing some money on the counter. "I…I need to go." He stammered, racing off.

Vally merely smiled.

&&&

"Philadelphia…The end of the beginning, the beginning of the end, depending on your point of view."

"…I don't get it."

(Lee Malion and Galatea-Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Lee shook his head as he lounged on the hotel bed, shoes kicked off and coat draped over a chair. Galatea was currently unpacking their suitcases, getting everything tucked away in draws.

"Don't worry you pretty little head about it." Lee replied. "Just think…in a few days, we will be ready to make so much money…"

Galatea looked over at Lee, cocking her head to one side. "Tell me the plan again, Master…please?" She batted her eyelashes.

Lee let out a mock sigh, over-dramatically rolling his head back. "Very well…if you're going to beg…" He lifted his head up and glared at her. "ahem."

"Oh!" Galatea dropped to her knees. "Please Master, tell me of your brilliance…I'll do anything you want…"

"If you're going to beg…" Lee said again, holding out a hand and beckoning his sex slave forward. "It all began when we were at my father's house. I was looking at that damn coin collection when I came across one of his prize pennies, a really old one." Lee paused, fishing two 2006 pennies from his pocket. "What is different between these two?"

"That ones shiner." Galatea said.

"Other then that."

"Oh…" Galatea thought for a moment. "That one has the letter D on it."

"That's right. That stands for Denver. You see, the United States mints some of their money in Denver."

Galatea frowned. "But…we aren't in Denver."

"I know that, you twit." Lee snarked. "I said some of the money! A lot more of America's coins come from the main mint in Philadelphia. Now, here is where things get interesting. I saw a show on the History Channel a few months back all about money and the US Mint. It turns out that while Americans love making money, they hate spending it. The US Mints have minimum guards, and not that many security features. And, most importantly, the guards they do have only have outdated guns that tend to…jam.

"We scoop out the place a bit, and in a few days, we go there and leave all those drawings I have in my briefcase. I've been practicing my ability to bring the images to life…I can be hundreds of feet away now. So, we just set them all up a few days before, so to avoid suspiscion, then return one night, and I bring them all to life. I drew them all with one thought in my head: Beat down the guards, get the merchandise."

"We're stealing money?" Galatea asked.

"no." Lee said. "Too small. Too traceable. Instead, we are stealing something much more powerful: The plates used to make money." He grinned. "Think about it…we sell those babies off to some 3rd world dictator for a few mil, and we are living the good life. And when the government tries to find the robbers, imagine their surprise that it was George Washington and Ben Franklin with the rest of the founding fathers committing the crime." Lee laughed, then yanked Galatea on top of him. "Now then…time to come to your end of the bargain..."

&&&

Maddy looked down at Vally as she hugged the teddy bear tight. Leave it to her baby sister to be the most unselfish child in the world. Maddy had told her she could pick out anything in the story: Doll houses, video games, even one of the large motorized pink Barbie cars. Vally had run up and down the aisles before selected one small teddy bear and a Frisbee for them to play with at the park. It wasn't even that nice of a teddy bear…bit ratty, even had a strange stain on it's belly…it looked like an S with an extra arm at the top and two extra arms at the bottom.

"Are you sure you don't want another bear, sweetie." The cashier said. "We have that same one, all nice and clean…"

"NO!" Vally shouted, startling Maddy and the clerk. "Special!" Tears formed in her eyes. "Mine, Maddy! My bear! MINE!"

"Ok, Vally, ok. We'll get this bear." Madrid said quickly.

"Mine." Vally said simply, hugging the bear tighter.

"Determined little one there." The clerk said. "How will you be paying for these?"

"Cash." Madrid said, touching a one in her purse and producing a few more in her left hand. Neither woman noticed Vally's eyes flash pink for a moment. "There you go, keep the change."

"Thank you." The clerk said, handing Madrid the receipt. Maddy cowed Vally towards the door, the litte girl's tears forgotten as she babbled happily about them going to the park and playing on the swings.

Back in the store, the clerk looked at a few of the bills, then grabbed her phone. "Sir…we need to contact the police…I was just given some counterfeit money…"

&&&

(The Travelers- Philedelphi, Pennsylvania)

Linda looked over at Kelly as she emerged from the guys' bedroom. "Carter still…"

"Yea, out cold. Hank is sitting there with a Bible, praying up a storm." She shook her head. "Never thought I'd see the day Hank Delpine would pray for Carter Daniels."

Linda looked out at the stars. "A lot of things we didn't think we'd see."

"So, what now?" Kelly asked.

"At the moment, I am going to get some ice, then go to bed." Linda said, "You know where…"

"In the lobby, next to the 2 ending machines and the front desk. About 3 yards past the door, 2 yards from the pool." Kelly replied.

Linda gave Kelly a look. "Okay…"

The student shook her head. "Don't ask me, Dr. Frey. Just popped into my head." Linda shrugged, and the two made their way to the lobby. "What do you think happened to him? Carter, that is."

"God knows." Linda muttered. "Don't really want to think about it. Ignorance is bliss, and all that."

"yea." The two of them grew quiet as they entered the lobby of the hotel, passing the sleepy desk jockey and headed to the ice maker.

"Right where you said it would be. What are you, a human GPS?" Linda asked.

"Said the water dancer." Kelly muttered.

"Come on you stupid thing…" Another guest said, pounding on the machine. "I need ice!" The woman turned towards Linda and Kelly, a frown marring her beautiful features. "It's broken…"

Linda stared at her in shock. "Niki?"

The woman frowned. "No…I'm Galatea, who are you?"


	17. Company Woman

"Why do you need to see this tape?" The clerk asked the dark-haired beauty that had entered the store, flashing a badge and asking for his security tapes.

"I'm with the company that manufactures the security cameras you use."

The clerk frowned. "I'm…still a bit confused, Ms…"

The woman held out her hand. "How rude of me. Helena Daniels, head of Securitech."

(Helena Daniels- Wadsworth, Ohio)

"Ms. Daniels. Why do you need to look at the security tape?"

The woman gave him a slight grin. "There was a robbery here a few days ago, right? Its standard policy to examine tapes after a crime to make sure everything is order. If it isn't, then we will perform the necessary adjustments, free of charge."

"The head of the company does that?" The clerk questioned.

Helena shook her head. "Not normally, but I was in the neighborhood, and its cheaper to have me do some grunt work then pay a techie to fly out her and take a look, you follow what I mean."

The clerk nodded. "Of course…there is a TV in the back we can use. Miguel! Watch the front!"

Helena and the clerk walked through the back of the store, heading over to the manager's office. Letting himself in, the clerk held the door and motioned for Helena to enter first. She smiled; taking a seat while the man grabbed the tape.

"Have you shown this to anyone else?" She questioned.

"Just the police…"

Helena made note of that in her PDA. "Of course…did they mention any problems?"

"Yes…they said the angle wasn't the greatest, and there was some strange light illusions…"

"Illusions?"

"You'll see." The clerk said as he continued to search for the tape. After a moment, he managed to find the one he needed and popped it into the VCR, hitting play. Helena leaned in close, taking in every detail.

&&&

How did I get here? How did my life end up like this? All I wanted to do was have family, a nice house, and serve my country. Maybe it was too much to ask, but that is what I wanted.

Now? Now I am miles away from a house that barely feels like home. My husband is missing, kidnapped by a mysterious man whose only demand is that I sacrifice my son to him if I want Vic back. And my son…my darling Carter…he's gone too. He's changed, given a power few of us can understand…that I don't think I truly understand. And now he is on the run, hiding from the same people I call co-workers. Because Bennet has decided he is a threat to the world, and needs to be put down.

I notice that when it's _his_ daughter, we should keep it secret, the two of us. But my son has a bullet waiting for him, most likely.

How did I get here? How did my life end up like this?

&&&

You ever see that show 'Alias'? I laughed so hard when I saw it, because let me tell you, you don't become an agent like that? They don't walk up to you and say, "Hey, would you like to become a spy?" If someone did do that, it's most likely because they want to get into your pants.

Me? I had to go through the right channels to join this organization. I had to take the right classes, talk to the right people (and impress them without realizing I was suppose to impress them), and yea, have a certain charm.

Next thing you know, I am meeting with the big boss and given the chance of a lifetime.

Oh, it was a small chance, granted. There would be no touring the world, going to the best parties in killer outfits and listening devices. No, my expertise was required elsewhere.

Ever since I had been a little girl, I have loved working on gadgets. While most girls asked for Barbie Dream houses, I asked for Legos so I could build my dream house…with secret trap doors and hidden cannons for taking out evil blood sucking vampire Ken dolls.

Don't ask, stupid baby stuff.

When I got older, I shunned things like the cheerleading squad. I could be found in metal shop, making TV remotes (or a handy lock pick for breaking into cars…I was a teen, cut me a freakin' break.) and modifying my power tools. The boys didn't know what to think. On one hand, I wasn't soft and perky and made up like the popular girls. On the other hand, I could drink beer and talk about the Red Wings just like the rest of them.

Oh, and I put out. That might have helped.

Don't call me a whore! I was young and stupid. And I'm someone's mother, you know! You can't call someone's mother a whore.

But I get off my point. I get into college, talk to the right professors, go to some career fairs, next thing you know, I am in Flint, Michigan, working for some Japanese guy, an ass named Thompson (God, I hate that man) and his buddies in a secret organization with enough gadgets to have me panting like a dog, and a partner that can actually _turn_ into a dog.

Take that, Sydney Bristow; my Marshal can beat yours.

Securitech makes security systems; cameras, bugler alarms, keycard locks, so on and so forth. Sell them real cheap too, always giving grants and deals to different groups and organizations. Schools get them for a 1/4th of the price; corporations can buy them in bulk. Of course, we don't do this out of the goodness of my heart.

You see, Securitech's true goal is to monitor the public. Yes, yes, I hear you complaining about 'Big Brother'. But we're not monitoring regular people though! We're not like the President. We only monitor people that are a threat…people with special abilities.

There are some people out there that possess gifts that, well, in the wrong hands can be a danger to the public. Like my partner, the morpher. The organization I work with makes sure that these 'problem-makers' don't get too uppity. Each company is given a different purpose. Securitech uses its equipment to look out for people that possess these special abilities. Once we find someone, we alert our two sister companies: Pharmatech, which produces our field equipment and occasionally will experiment on subjects; and Primatech, which is in charge of bringing in those that posses special abilities and holding them. There are other companies out there, to be sure, and a lot of them we don't know about, to insure that if things did get out of control that the others would be safe, but our three companies work closest together. Prima are the cleaners, Pharma are the suppliers, and we are the monitors.

And it would be just this sort of monitoring that would end up changing my life in another, more blessed way.

&&&

It was 15 years ago. One of my associates, Mr. Bennet, head of Primatech, had asked me to look over security tapes from this orphanage in Texas. Seems he had been tracking this woman we'd identified as a potential enhanced human, and done a little digging. Turns out when she was a teenager, she was raped by this older guy named Ellis. Her parents, finding out she was pregnant, forbid her from aborting the baby, and gave him up for adoption. Bennet wanted me to see if the kid showed any signs of having powers. We set up cameras in secret, and I watched the end result.

While I didn't see any flying toddlers or 10 year olds that could shoot lasers from their eyes, what I did see nearly broke my heart. This little boy, only 7 years old, was the cutest, most heart warming child I had ever laid eyes on. Small for his age, he was quiet and mild mannered, always by himself playing with whatever toy he could find, usually a broken one. The older children got the best stuff, and the women running the orphanage always coddled the babies. This boy was stuck in the middle, and forced to fend for himself.

I had a months worth of tapes, and I watched through them in a full week, only stopping to eat or sleep. I watched as he was bullied, picked on and tormented by the other children. I pleaded with him to speak up, and cheered when he finally did. My heart shattered when the workers did nothing, scolded him for lying, even though the evidence of this abuse was obvious.

When I got to the point that he hid in the closet for 3 days, I went from sad to angry. I watched as no one noticed his absences, and when they did, he only received more punishment.

That's when I told my husband Vic that I was being sent out to Texas…that I wanted him to go with me.

&&&

(Helena Daniels and Vic Daniels- Dallas, Texas)

"Why are we here again?" Vic whispered.

Helena gave him her best wide-eyed look. "Vic…remember how we talked about having a baby?"

Vic Daniels nodded. "yea. We agreed that with our work we couldn't handle a baby that would need us all the time."

"I know. That's why I began thinking about adoption." She held up her hand. "Think about it…not only could we have a child and not have to worry as much about him or her, but we could also better the life of someone else." She smiled, "Come on Vic, admit it…a lot easier to be a father to something that doesn't poop itself."

Vic rolled his eyes. "We are just getting a feel for these places, right? You aren't setting something up?"

"Me?" Helena asked innocently.

Vic groaned. "Why am I having flashbacks to the convertible."

"Hey, this is nothing like that." She complained. 'This time I'm tricking you into getting a child, not a car. Nope, nothing like the convertible at all!'

Introducing herself to the head of the orphanage, Helena explained that she and her husband had been in town for business, then told him the same story she'd just given Vic. Nodding his head, obviously thrilled to have such a powerful woman in the building, the head of the orphanage lead them about the place, showing off everything.

Helena steadied her nerves. Yes, she wanted nothing more then to knock the man down, find the little boy, gather him in her arms and whisk him away. But if her plan was to work, she needed to be careful. She needed Vic on board.

"And this is where the children sleep." The head of the orphanage said, walking them past the beds. "the children are outside, playing, so you will have to wait if you would like to meet them."

Vic shook his head. "I don't think we have the time…"

"I thought you said all the children were outside." Helena said, pointing to the small boy laying in the last ratty bed on her right. It was him…her boy.

"Oh…him." The man said, dismissing the child as if he were a piece of moldy cheese. "He is being punished. He didn't report for headcount last week, so he is restricted to stay in here for 12 days."

Vic frowned. "A little strict…"

"Trust me sir, we need to nip such troublemakers in the bud…lest they never get adopted. Now then, if we move on…"

Helena flew past him, walking over to the little boy. He was seated on his bed, staring out the window, watching the other children play baseball. Helena Daniels sat down, taking him in. The camera had not done him justice. Scruffy sandy brown hair topped his angelic face, pudgy fingers gripped the bed sheet, little feet kicked back and forth.

The little boy gave a start when Helena sat down, cringing away.

"Hi…" Helena said softly. "My names Helena…what's your name."

"C-C-C-C-C-C-C-Carter." He finally managed to get out.

'My god…' Her mind screamed, this the first time she had heard him speak. 'What have they done to you?' Helena nodded. "I think Carter is a nice name." Carter looked at her, eyes wide as she gave him a smile, drinking it in. The boy was starved for love, and Helena was more then willing to give it to him. "I'm not going to hurt you, sweetheart."

Carter's face scrunched up in confusion.

"W-W-W-W-W-Why n-n-n-n-n-n-not?" He whispered.

Helena frowned. "Because you shouldn't hurt little boys or girls, sweetheart."

Carter grew more confused. "W-W-W-W-W-W-What if th-th-th-th-th-they are b….b…b…" He grew more panicked as he tried to get the word out, glancing at the orphanage head in terror.

"You can do it…" Helena whispered.

"Don't bother…the boy is as dumb as a stump." The head of the orphanage said. Vic shot him a look of surprise. "We have worked for years to break him out of that silly stutter, and still he has it."

"bad!" Carter exclaimed. Everyone stared at him. "W-what if they are b-b-bad?" He tone was excited, thrilled he had gotten the sentence out, but the question left a bad taste in Helena's mouth.

"What could you do that was so bad…" Carter's eyes instantly went down, and Helena slowly turned towards the man that had shown her and her husband around. "Being confined to this room wasn't his only punishment for hiding, was it?" Not waiting for an answer, Helena turned back to Carter and quickly lifted his gray shirt.

The mass of blue and black bruises had her struggling to hold her lunch down. The ghost of her touch that confirmed he had 4 broken ribs made her loose the battle, heaving into the nearby garbage pail.

POW!

Helena whipped back up, Carter crying out in fright and crawling under the blankets, as Vic Daniels leveled the man with a right hook. He glared at the orphanage head, his body shaking in rage. Helena had never seen Vic like this before, so out of control, so utterly pissed off. It thrilled and frightened her at the same time.

"Vic…" She whispered.

"Comfort the boy, Helena." He said, brokering no arguments. Vic didn't look back as Helena reached out, pulling the sheet away and opening her arms. Not thinking twice, the boy scrambled into her embrace, Carter clinging to her shirt as he sobbed in terror, shivering as she whispered soothing words to him. "Get the papers." Vic hissed.

The head of the orphanage groaned. "What…what papers?"

"The adoption papers." Helena gasped in surprise as Vic continued. "I want them here now, or I will have that boy's chest of the front page of every newspaper in the country! You won't make it to trial, because there will be so many people aiming to put a bullet in your head by this time tomorrow. And that is if you are lucky? You know what they do to sickos like you in prison? Do ya? Get me the adoption papers NOW!"

An hour later, Helena and Vic left the orphanage, the boy now known as Carter Daniels snuggled tight in his new mother's arms, thumb in his mouth and fast asleep.

&&&

(Helena Daniels- Wadsworth, Ohio)

Shaking her head of the daydreams, Helena turned her full attention to the tape, watching as one of the robbers pulled out a gun and began to threaten a clerk. Her heart raced as her baby called out, drawing the man's attention away from the other man, standing so proud and so tall. Part of her screamed in terror, watching as her son doomed himself to be hunted forever yet again.

Another part of her cheered as her little boy finally became a man.

_"What the hell are you?" _

_"Me? I'm PANIC!"_

Helena watched as Carter fired out several blasts of energy, knocking the man off his feet. Kelly Raegan seemed to fall back, and to her surprise, Dr. Linda Frey held up her hand, summoning a blast of water to take out the other burglar.

'So, Dr. Frey also possess powers.' Helena thought. 'That is interesting.'

"Did you see that flash?" The clerk said from behind her. "What was it?"

Remembering what she was "suppose" to be doing, Helena turned back to him. "I'm not sure, I will need…" She paused as two gunshots rang out. She turned back to the screen as Kelly, Carter and Linda ran out of the store. 'Two…but one gun…' She looked at the image of Kelly, then at the clerk. "Rewind it back to where the flash first appeared."

Doing so, the clerk watched again as Carter's hands glowed, the young man firing off some of his whammies. But Helena was focused on the bottom of the screen, watching as Kelly fell back…

'no…pushed. She was pushed back. She didn't see it coming, she was surprised.' She shook her head, remembering something else. A few weeks back, she had gotten the security tapes from the night Carter and Kelly escaped the two men Bennet had sent. An unmarked van had driven up, the door opened and Carter leapt in, Kelly in his arms. Helena had assumed someone on the inside had opened the door. 'It wasn't.' She realized, smiling slightly. 'There is someone else with him…helping him…

'Someone that can only be seen by the naked eye.'

She didn't know if she should scream in frustration or cry with joy.

Her son had another ally.

* * *

Author's Note: That's right folk, Hank has powers too. But like Kelly, he doesn't realize it. Review, and learn about the nature of Kelly and Hank's powers.

Also, make sure to read 'Snapshots from Elsewhere' this week, as the story of the orphanage isn't over. Helena didn't forget the injuries her new son sustained, so she sends Marshal on an off-the-books-mission a week later. But when a certain smoker appears, things get messy as the two heroes collide.


	18. Parasite

(Galatea and The Travelers- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Galatea couldn't help but preen as the charming young man offered her a pastry. Oh, she would never go against the master, never think any unpure thoughts that didn't involve him. But…it didn't hurt her ego any that these 4 nice people wanted to spend time with her, were interested in her.

When she had told her master that she had met two women that seemed to know her, at first he had been unsure about letting her see them again. But after a few moments of thinking it over, Lee had decided that it would actually be rather smart to have Galatea make friends. He'd rattled on about alibis and people vouching for them…the super strong woman had zoned out after that. Such talk was for her master, she wasn't meant to understand, and she knew master understood that.

She had been surprised when Kelly and Linda had brought to men with them. Hank and Carter, they had said, two of their friends. Galatea had asked if their friends wanted to be her friends, and after a moment the two men had nodded, getting funny looks. But then again, people always gave her funny looks…maybe she made funny looks without realizing it. She would have to check in a mirror later on.

"So, Galatea…" Linda said. "What brings you to Philadelphia?"

The clone frowned. Master had told her not to discuss that with anyone…that it was a special, couple only secret.

"I can't say." She said sadly.

"Can't say?" Kelly questioned.

"Master told me not to." Galatea replied.

Hank frowned, leaning in closer. "You have a master?"

Galatea broke into a grin. She could talk about master! "Oh yes, Master Lee! He is the best master! He buys me pretty clothing, and lets me beat people up that want to hurt him, and he loves having sex with me. We had sex before I came to meet you, he had me on my hands and knees…"

"That's…enough." Kelly said, holding up a hand. Hank looked a little pale.

"Are you sure?" Galatea asked, pouting.

Carter shrugged. "Couldn't hurt to hear more…"

Linda smacked the back of his head, the young man grimacing, before she turned back to Galatea. "Why do you consider Lee your master, Tea?"

The clone gave her a much too happy grin. "He has always been my master! He made me to serve him."

"Made you?" Hank questioned.

Galatea scrunched up her nose. "Of course. Master Lee drew my picture then breathed life into me. He makes a lot of other people too, but he only lets me stick around." She grinned. "I'm special…and sooooo lucky!"

"I bet you are…" Kelly muttered before leaning over towards Carter. "You think this Lee has magic like you?"

"Sounds like it." Carter muttered softly.

Hank took up the questioning, wishing to get to the bottom of this. Part of him was screaming that if this Lee had created the woman seated infront of him, then she was a soulless creature, an affront to god…and that this Lee had dared to dabble in power no mortal was allowed to wield. "Why did your master tell you not to tell us why you are in Philly?"

Galatea shrugged. "He is planning something big and illegal and doesn't want to get caught." Her eyes went wide as she covered her mouth, as if trying to bring the words back. "Oh no!"

Carter held up his hand. "its ok, Galatea…Master Lee told us to tell you it was ok to tell us everything."

The clone thought for a moment. "I don't know …"

Carter's hand glowed. "You should be more trusting." He sent the whammy at her, causing her to blink.

"What was that?"

"What was what…I didn't see my hand glowing."

"Oh…ok!" She said happily, trusting Carter fully.

Linda gave Carter a sly smile. "Why don't you tell us all about Lee's plan now, ok?"

"Okie Dokie!" She exclaimed. "Master Lee is going to go to the US Mint…"

&&&

(Location Unknown)

"I will not hear of it! It is treason!"

"Just wait." Seth begged. "We are sure if you only listen to what we have to say…"

The man shook his head, glaring at Seth. "What you speak of is pure foolishness. The stuff of children's tales. No grown man could ever believe such nonsense and be taken as a person of sanity."

"You once believed." Seth argued. "You would not be here if you had not believed, Lord William…"

"Foolishness from days gone by." Lord William said, turning once more towards the door. "I am older then you, and I have wasted years waiting for a man that will never come, for he is not real."

Seth shook his head, the smoke maker trying desperately to get Lord William to understand. "The prophecy is clear, with his coming, so will come the guardian and the light-bringer."

"The light-bringer." Lord William scoffed, leaning against a wall with his hand. "Yes, let us talk of her…the one that will bring them all together, the one that will bring about New Eden. The one sent out of the land of the sun to bring us out of darkness…" He turned back to Seth. "Hogwash."

"But he has already completed so much of the prophecy…"

Lord William had had enough. "DO NOT ACT AS IF I KNOW NOTHING!" He held up is hand. "Through these hands I have absorbed more words then you will ever see. I know by heart what the tomes say, and I tell you, they are rubbish! There is no light-bringer, only the dreams of fools."

"If you so believe that, then why do you stay?"

"To insure you idiots don't do anything rash. You already test the faith of others within the group…" He sighed, lowering his head. "Your boss is my equal, and is my friend, though he is of lesser years then me and merely a man. But his dedication, while allowing him to rise to my rank, is what also makes me fear for him. He can not see that these legends are simply that: Legend."

The Frenchman shook his head at the English Lord. "I believe you British have a say, "The lady dous protest to much"?"

"You think I truly believe?" Lord William asked.

"I think you have merely lost your way…forgotten your way. But you have not abandoned the path…you merely fear you can not find it again." Lord William's shoulders slumped, and he made his way back to the large red smoking chair. Taking out a cigar, he clipped the end and began to light it. "Must you?" Seth asked.

Lord William laughed for the first time since Seth had entered his study. "The smoker is scolded by the smoke maker?"

"I only blow it out, I do not inhale it." Seth replied, but he managed a smile as well.

"Quite…" Lord William paused. "There are several that will not go along with this…those that would see the coming of the light-bringer as their end." He sighed, taking a deep puff of the cigar. "And more then that…I know of this boy you speak of, this Carter Daniels…they will not bow to him."

"Authority is not given to us to deny the Heir of Isaiah." He swallowed. "Every path we have taken, ever struggle…has led us to this moment. Carter Daniels is the last scion of the House of Ellis, the last male scion of the House of Gordon. He has already begun to gather to him those of power…it is only a matter of time."

"Your boss is certain, Seth?" Lord William pressed.

"Beyond a doubt, my Lord. Carter Daniels…Carter Ellis, is the one, the Heir of Isaiah, as spoken in the lost scriptures. He is the prophesized one."

Lord William nodded. "To do what you have asked me before…to protect this boy, to shield him…it could mean our deaths. Would you give up it all, risk the tortures the others…the leader could bring?"

Seth nodded. "There is no more noble death then to stand between a Warrior of God and the Swords of Hell."

Lord William nodded, putting out the cigar. "Then tell your boss I will stand with you…" He took Seth's hand. "And may God help us if we are wrong."

"No, Lord William…may God help them if we are right."

&&&

Carter, Hank, Linda and Kelly were all seated in their hotel room, the words Galatea had spoken to them still rattling in their heads. They couldn't believe it…it seemed to unreal.

'Of course, considering what we've seen…' each thought separately.

Finally, it was Hank that asked the question. "Guys…what do we do? Do we call the police?"

"no." Kelly said dully. "How would we ever get them to believe us." She thought. "Call the Mint?"

"Again." Carter muttered. "How would they believe us?"

Linda held her head in her hands. "We can't let them just…take the money, you know?" She looked up towards the ceiling, flopping on the bed. "Imagine…a man that can make people out of paper, with that printing press…"

"Afraid he will make George Washington come alive?" Kelly joked.

Hank frowned. "Now isn't the time for that."

Kelly sulked. "It is better then grumbling."

"Enough." Linda snapped. "Stop fighting…this is getting us no where. We have just learned that tomorrow night, some mad man is going to rob the US Mint here in Philly…we have to do something, and arguing…"

"We have to stop him." Carter whispered. Everyone slowly turned to him as he raised his hand. "I was given this power…you too Doctor Fray…maybe this is why."

"To stop them?" Linda asked.

"Yes." He looked down. "I want to be a hero…it was what I have been working for…I just didn't realize it." His head snapped up, his eyes hard. "I'm going to stop them tomorrow. None of you need to go…"

"I'm with you." Linda said, her eyes glowing blue. "Where you go…I go."

"Me too." Kelly said.

Carter shook his head. "But…"

"Don't." She warned. "I don't care if I have no powers. I am going to help."

"save Carter…save the world…" Hank said, standing up and placing his hand on Carter's shoulder. "God has entrusted me with your safety, and I will not disgrace his trust."

Linda nodded. "We are in this together…the four of us."

Carter managed to smile. "Alright…tomorrow…we become heroes."

&&&

(Madrid and Valencia Alverez- Hollywood, California)

"Maddy?" Vally asked, walking up to her sister, the footies of her pjs smacking against the cold tile. She was rubbing her eyes with her arm, her teddy bear dragging on the ground.

Madrid looked up from her bowl of cereal, her bedtime snack, and gave her sister a silly grin and pulled her into her lap. "What are you doing up, silly? Its past yoru bedtime by…40 minutes."

"Can't sleep." Vally said. "We need ta go."

"Go?" Madrid asked. Normally, she was real good at interpreting what her sister's baby talk meant, but, maybe it was the wear of the day, she for the life of her couldn't figure out what she was saying.

"Go…we need ta go, now." Vally said, getting more anxious.

Madrid frowned. "Sweetheart, why do we need to go? It's bed time…we can go out tomorrow…another Maddy and Vally Fun Day…"

"NO!" Vally whined. "Go now!"

"Valencia Alverez, calm down." Madrid said sternly. "We are not going anywhere…"

"MADDY!" Vally shouted, opening her eyes. Madrid nearly dropped her baby sister as the pink glow illuminating her eye sockets flashed in her face. "GO NOW! GO NOW! GO NOW!"

"Vally…what…"

Vally's eyes got wide. "THEY'RE HERE!"

&&&

The men prepped their tasers. They couldn't hear what was going on inside of the mansion, but they were ready for anything. They hoped that Madrid and Valencia Alverez were asleep…that would make the tagging and bagging a lot easier. But just incase…

"Sir, we're ready." One man said. "We are standing by…Terence is disabling the security system…" He watched as the man held out his hand, electricity cracking from it as he shut down the alarms. "We are to go."

On the other end, the man named Thompson nodded. "We want them alive, remember that…go."

&&&

_There shall come, from the land of the fire starters_

_the Heir of Isaiah._

_He shall find, from the land of the sun_

_the Guardian and the light-bringer._

_When three together, from night to day_

_Hey find the hunted children_

_And beneath the flesh of giving Earth_

_Eden will rise again._

_-**The Prophecy of the Heir of Isaiah and the Light Bringer**, From The Lost Gossips_

For 6 months, you have watched, as they have grown.

(Flashes of Carter, Linda, Kelly, Hank, Madrid, Valencia, and Lee)

For 6 months, you have prayed, as they risked their lives.

(We see the robbers from the Ohio convenient store gas station point a gun at Carter, the Haitian trying to grab Kelly, and the men bursting into Madrid's home)

For 6 months, you wondered, how will it all end.

(We see Lee holding out his hand, and within the US Mint's bathroom, papers begin to shift and transform.)

On April 23…

(We see Carter, Kelly, Linda and Hank marching into the US Mint)

From Mr. Chaos, the creator of the "Of the Gods" trilogy, "GX: Hunters", and "The Greatest Story Finally Told", comes the final chapter of this season's smash hit fan fic, "Elsewhere".

(We see Madrid cradling Vally as they hide in a dark corner)

Lord William: Your "allies" will never allow Carter Daniels to come to power.

Seth: Authority is not given to us to deny the Heir of Isaiah.

(We see Carter staring at a mirror)

Carter: Put away the boy…this is the hour of the hero. The hour I have lived my entire life for.

(We see Helena raise her gun, shouting for someone to stop. The scene shifts to Carter, Hank, Kelly and Linda talking in the apartment)

Carter: We may not survive this battle…infact I would put good money on us all dying. But I don't care. If we are to die, then let us die in such a way…that we will never be forgotten.

Hank: The angels will sing of us…of our final battle.

Linda: The four of us, united…

Kelly: Saviors of the world.

(We see Madrid rocking Vally)

Madrid: I swear to you…I will never leave you.

Vally: Pwomise?

Madrid: Promise

(We see Kelly and Carter watching the sun set)

Kelly: We will never see Flint again, will we?

Carter: Yes we will…yes we will.

(The screen goes black)

Beyond the Cheerleader…Beyond New York….Beyond it all…lies the world…of Elsewhere.

(We see Carter in a fighting stance, his hands clenched.)

Carter: I will not die this day, not by _your_ hands!

(The camera pans back to reveal Carter surrounded by hundreds of Lee's clones. Carter's hand glow as the mob moves in to swarm him)

Carter: **PANIC!**

Elsewhere

The Final Battle

And while heroes of Elsewhere wage war, Snapshots from Elsewhere will continue…

(We see a city at night)

Not only looking at the past…

(We see a group of men dressed in black hurrying through the darkness)

To what the future holds for the heroes

(We see an 8 year old Valencia looking out over the city, her eyes glowing pink. Through her eyes, we see blips of pink appearing all over the world.)

5 years into the future.

But before that…the meeting…

(We see the shape shifter from Parasite thrown against a wall)

We've all been waiting for.

(We see Marshal in his Hybrid puma form hold her throat)

Marshal: Been poking your nose where it doesn't belong, cous. Time to remind you which one of us is in charge.

(He bares his fangs and the screen goes black as she screams)

Snapshots from Elsewhere


	19. Point 07 Percent

(Madrid and Valencia Alverez- Hollywood, California)

The men moved swiftly through the mansion, tasers ready and tranq guns armed. They could hear people talking from the upstairs, the commandos' presence not detected by girls.

The lights in the kitchen were on, a bowl of cereal sitting unattended. The men slowly did a sweep of the downstairs, but found nothing out of place.

"Sir…no one here…the younger one must have woken up, and now the older one is in her room."

Thompson nodded. "Proceed with caution. Remember, I want them alive."

Nodded, the soldier pointed to two other armed men, motioning for them to follow him up the stairs. Stepping lightly, no stair squeaked and no board groaned as the 3 men slowly climbed to the second story.

"It was just a nightmare, Vally." The men froze as they listened to Madrid Alverez soothingly comfort her 3 year old sister. "No reason to be afraid."

"I scawed." Vally whimpered.

"Nothing to be scared about…I promise, there is no one coming after us."

If the men were moved by the gentle words, they didn't show it. Instead, they continued onward, heading for the bedroom.

"Want me to sing a song?" Madrid asked.

"Ok."

The men paused, listening carefully as Madrid began to sing 'Itsy Bitsy Spider'. The commander of the group held up his hand, signaling for the other two to stop. He silently moved towards an overstuffed chair near Vally's room, and after looking at, he glanced at an end table. His body trembled for a moment, and then he shoved the chair aside in anger.

"Sir?" One of them hissed.

"Son of a bitch." The commander snarled. "Sir!"

Thompson raced up the stairs, eyes narrowed. "What the hell…" He began, only to freeze.

The commando held up the phone set, the blinking lights on it clearly showing that the speakerphone was on.

"How about this for a story, Vally." Madrid said, the sound of a car reving up dulling her words. "Once upon a time some idiots tried to break into my house." A mechanical sound was heard. "And these idiots failed to read 'The Da Vinci Code'…"

The phone went dead.

&&&

Vally watched as her sister felt under the car's door, searching for something. As soon as she had told Maddy that 'they' were coming, her sister had quickly turned on the intercom to the upstairs. Their parents had set a phone up next to Vally's room when she was just a baby, so that they could contact the other while rocking her back to sleep. Their laziness in uninstalling it had just saved their lives.

"Got it." Madrid said with a grin, holding up the Hid-a-Key. "Why Katrina leaves a Hid-A-Key under her car, I'll never know, but remind me to buy her something pretty as thanks."

Vally frowned. "We can't steal car." She said stubbornly, hugging her teddy bear tight.

"We aren't." Madrid said. "Just focus on seeing if those idiots are near us."

Vally nodded, eyes searching for the pink little blips that represented people like her and her sister. A block away, in their mansion, she saw a bunch of them moving about. Her body tensed, and she turned to watch as Madrid made a copy of the keys…and then a duplicate of the car.

"Thank you neighbor." Madrid said, still a bit dizzy. She gave Vally a weak smile, and opened the duplicate car, sliding Vally into the passenger seat then wobbling over to the driver's side. "now, if I can just drive without killing both of us…" She murmured, pulling out onto the road.

&&&

"Our top story, mysterious vehicles were seen leaving the house of Madrid Alverez, the daughter of…"

"Ready to save the world yet?"

(The Travelers- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Kelly looked up at Carter, who was carrying a shopping bag, followed by Linda with several bags of her own.

"Not quite. Hank's doing something in the bathroom that I want to know nothing about."

"Wonderful." Carter mumbled, tossing the bag on the bed. He jerked his thumb at Linda, shaking his head. "We would have been hear sooner, but Doc Fray was being picky."

Linda scoffed. "If I am going to save the world, I want to do it in a kickass outfit. Some of us don't have mysterious smoke men giving us our cool jackets." She grinned as she pulled out a stylish blue and green jacket, slipping it over her shoulders. "Pretty and practical, if I may say."

"And how is that?" Kelly questioned.

"Waterproof." Linda said with a grin. "Everything I got is waterproof." She tossed Kelly her own bag, going behind the wall that separated part of the closet area from the beds. Carter was already pulling off his shirt and jeans, Kelly barely giving him a glance. "You like what I got you?"

"Oh yea!" Kelly grinned, admiring the snazzy boots Linda had brought her, which matched the blue and black letterman jacket. "The B is a bit much…what if people ask what my name is?"

"Super bitch." Carter supplied, receiving a deathglare and a stuck out tongue for his joke. He pulled on his Goodwill jeans, then began to tie up his shoes.

"Whoa!" Hank shouted, covering his eyes and stumbling away from Linda. "Sorry Dr. Fray."

"More traumatic for you then me, I'm guessing." She snarked from behind the wall. "Kelly, the bathroom is free!"

Grinning, Kelly darted away, leaving Hank to look over his new clothing. "Blue jeans, t-shirt…biker jacket…"

"Turn it over!" Linda called out.

Hank did so and rolled his eyes. "Thanks Carter." He muttered, running a finger along the golden cross that had been stitched into the back.

"A gift from God." Carter said as he pulled down his black t-shirt, a large red P emblazoned on his chest. "Just call me Pani...you know what I mean." He added, putting on his coat.

Hank nodded, changing into his own gear, before turning towards Kelly and Linda, both of them entering the main room and sitting down on the bed. "Doesn't seem real yet, does it."

"Not at all." Kelly said. "Not at all."

They were all silent, trying to grasp the idea that soon they would be taking on some guy with powers…a guy with abilities like Carter and Linda's. They would be doing battle in the US Mint, to protect it from the greatest theft the United States would ever see. Only a few months ago, they had been students and a teacher, worrying more about mid terms and tuition. Now, they worried about what strange battle they would be facing. Dressed in their outfits, their casual attempt at costumes, the weight of what they were about to hit them.

"We are walking right into hell, most likely." Carter said at last. His three companions looked at him, startled by his sudden and blunt comment. "We have a .07 chance of any of this actually working out in our favor. We have no idea what we are against, and won't until its too late."

"Carter…" Kelly began, but the young man held up his hand.

"Someone needs to say it. We may not survive this battle… infact I would put good money on us all dying." He shook his head, running his fingers along his ancestor's coat. "But I don't care." He finally said, standing up, he stood before them, face hard with determination. "If we are to die, then let us die in such a way…that we will never be forgotten."

The room was silent.

Then, Hank stood up. "The angels will sing of us…of our final battle."

Linda steeled her heart. "The four of us, united…"

They turned to Kelly, the young woman closing her eyes and taking several deep breaths, before finally looking at each of them, eyes settling on Carter. "Saviors of the world."

Hank glanced at the clock. "We have 2 hours…then we need to begin heading to the train. Can't save the world if we miss that."

Linda nodded. "Get yourself settled, do whatever you want…we meet here in an hour."

&&&

"Thanks for the lead…yea, we'll follow it." The cellphone was snapped shut and shoved in her purse.

"I can see why the Fresh Prince left this city."

"Who?"

(Helena Daniels and Marshal- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Marshal gave her a look. "You are a sad woman, you know that."

Helena shrugged she parked their car. "That's what you tell me."

Stepping out, the two of them looked around the parking garage, making sure no one was around, before popping the trunk and pulling out their equipment. Marshal would have little, only a backpack with spare clothing and, if need be, a doggy leash. He had learned quickly that, if having to choose between running around naked and acting like Helena's prize poodle, the doggy was the better choice.

"So, what's the plan?" Marshal asked.

"We have spotted Carter talking to some woman." Helena slid a photo of a stunning blonde out of her pocket and handed it to Marshal. "Had the techs look her up…it's the girl from Las Vegas…Nikki Saunders. Thing is, we know for a fact she hasn't left Nevada."

"So what…a shapeshifter?"

"Possibly." Helena said. "We are to follow her. One of my boys back in Flint picked he up on a security cam in the city, not 20 minutes ago. I say we find out a bit about her."

Marshal ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek. "And explain to me why we aren't going right after your son?"

Helena sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "Because I would rather know if he has something planned…"

"You're scared to see him, aren't you?" Marshal asked. He grinned and Helena began to walk away. "I knew it! You are afraid to tell him the truth…"

"Just shut up." Helena snarled. "We have a blonde bimbo to catch, and who the hell is the Fresh Prince?"

&&&

"First one back, huh?" Carter asked, moving to stand next to Kelly. The former editor was staring out at the sunset, eyes unfocused.

"Never left…not that hungry."

Carter nodded. "Yea, me neither. Linda is playing pinball in the lobby…Hank's at some local churching, praying for our safety."

"And you?"

"I walked around." Carter admitted. He looked at her from the corner of his eye. "Nerv…" His hands glowed. "Uh…you know what I mean."

"Yea." Kelly said. "And God help me Carter, if you suggest you whammy me some courage…"

"Wasn't going to." He said. "Trying to resist that route myself."

"Yea, because we both know how well you do with a tone of confidence. Almost turned me into your sex slave."

"For a minute!" He exclaimed, Kelly just rolling her eyes. He licked his lips, the mood growing somber. "Beautiful sunset."

"Yea." She managed to say. She moved up closer, resting her head on her friend's shoulder. "We will never see Flint again, will we?"

Carter paused for only a moment…then wrapped an arm around her waist. "Yes we will…yes we will."

&&&

"Ok…time to do this."

(Lee and Galatea- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Galatea watched as Lee opened his eyes wide, all color darkening to black. His body trembled as he focused his powers on the paper people he had stashed in the Mint, body twitching as each on came to life. He could feel the first begin to move, taking out the guards with ease and tying them up. His neck bones cracked as his head rolled, more of his creations storming out of the rest rooms and dark hiding spot and into the secure area, taking out any security in their way.

Finally he slumped back, drained. "It's done." He whispered. "Now we just wait for those paper drones to make us very rich."

&&&

Helena watched on her cell phone the footage her techs were getting from the security cams they had installed in the United States Mint. After everything she had seen these last few years…she still had problems attributing this to fact.

"Whoa." Marshal said, glancing from the binoculars that he had trained on Galatea and Lee to the phone screen. "I can't believe it."

"Believe it." Helena muttered. She cocked her gun. "Carter can wait, Marshal. We have to deal with these idiots first."

The two of them headed for the stairwell, ready to get off the roof and take out this new threat. If they didn't, they knew their bosses would have their asses faster then one could say "gimme gimme".

Which is why they just missed the 4 new arrivals on the scene.

&&&

Carter, Kelly, Hank and Linda stared at the United States Mint Building, standing together in a perfect solid line. They were a study in contrast: Kelly the dark skinned editor that was into chicks and always protected her friends; Linda, the teacher who had left her life of crime behind to educate those that needed her; Hank, the man of faith that had taken the word of a man with a sword to aid his enemy; Carter, the last scion of two powerful families, the master of emotions,

Carter nodded. Linda's eyes glowed blue as felt the water, flowing through pipes beneath the street, suddenly still, waiting for her command. Hank cracked his knuckles, not realizing that his powers had activated, cloaking the group from all electronic eyes. Kelly's power waited for her to enter the building, and then they would do their part. And Carter…his eyes and hands began to glow silver with stored emotional energy.

"Lets do this." Carter whispered.

And with that…they charged.

&&&

Author's Note: At this point, the timeline between HEROES and ELSEWHERE will shift. Next weeks episode we see the future of the HEREOS. We already saw the future of the heroes of ELSEWHERE in SNAPSHOTS FROM ELSEWHERE 'The Voice of God Part 1-5'. Instead, we will witness what you all have waited for…the battle between The Travelers and Lee, with the final 4 chapters spanning two emotionally charged days.


	20. String Theory

(The United States Mint-Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

"Guys…over here."

Hank, carter and Linda moved over to where Kelly was kneeling, the young woman's hand placed gently upon the throat of a security guard.

"We too late?" Linda asked.

"To save this poor shlob?" Kelly asked. "Yea."

"Damn it." Carter cursed.

"Watch your language." Hank warned.

Carter frowned. "Are you actually going to give me a lecture on swearing while we're out on a mission?"

"There is still no reason…" Hank was cut off by Kelly cocking the guard's gun, looking it over carefully. The group took a step back as she examined the weapon carefully. "Whoa…" Hank stammered.

"Relax." Kelly said. "My dad is a cop, taught me all about guns…wait." Kelly commanded, Carter and Hank pausing mid-step. The young woman grabbed the keys from the guard's pocket and moved towards a security door, throwing it open and motioning for them to follow her.

Linda glanced at the guys, before following her student inside, Hank and Carter close behind. "Kelly…what…"

"These are the security tunnels…" She whispered, looking around. "they run all along the building. lets the guards into position quickly. Whoever killed the guard will expect us to come through the main warehouse door, which was 10 yards in front of us and to the right when we entered, but if we go through here, 5 yards left, 10 yards left, we can sneak up on them." She paused at another nondescript door, looking it over. "This should be it."

Hank looked at Carter. "Did you whammy her or something?"

"Don't look at me." Carter hissed. "I haven't whammied anyone since that Galatea chick."

"Kelly…what are you…?" Linda asked as Kelly opened the door. Linda froze as Kelly stepped aside.

Inside were hundreds of guns.

"Merry Christmas Kelly Raegan." She said with a grin, grabbing a shotgun.

&&&

(Lee Malion and Galatea)

"How are they doing, master?" Galatea whispered, leaning in close to her lover.

"Fine…would you get away from me, I need to concentrate!" Lee snapped, shoving Galatea aside. The paper clone whimpered as she moved away. "I want to make sure those idiots do what they are suppose to."

"Are we going to use the money to buy a big mansion for my brothers?" Galatea asked.

"Your brothers?" Lee questioned.

"The clones." She answered.

"What the…of course not…once I am done with them, they go back to being paper. I can't have them being linked back to me."

Galatea frowned. "What about me?"

"What about you?"

"Do I go back to paper when you're done with me, master?"

"You will if you don't…"

"FREEZE!"

Lee turned to find two newcomers on the roof. One had a gun trained on them, the other just stood there, waiting.

"You know, most people who get their powers start off small." The woman with the gun said. "Must say, you are a bit of an overachiever." She grinned. "I like dealing with overachievers."

"That's nice." Lee said, flinging confetti into the air. "Tell it to my little friends." The paper shivered, before transforming into a cloud of locust.

The dark haired beauty merely raised an eyebrow, before pulling out a small ball and tossing it in the air. With a pop, the locust turned back to paper, fried. "I come prepared for anything."

"Come prepared for her?" Lee asked, gesturing at Galatea, who, forgetting her sadness at her master's comment, thrilled in showing off her strength by breaking the stone ledge of the roof off with her bare hands.

The woman nodded. "Yup…Marshal?" The man who stood behind her shucked his shirt off, and before Lee could make a comment, the man's skin darkened as he transformed into some strange half man, half cat creature.

"ROAR!" Marshal snarled, leaping at Galatea, the two tumbling off the roof. Lee turned to find the woman glaring at him, gun raised.

"Lets try this again."

&&&

"We there yet, Mapmaker?"

Kelly frowned at Carter's pet name for her. "Shut up, Panic." She grit her teeth. 'Of course, his nickname is cool…'

"Shhh.' Linda hissed, making her way through the tunnels. "I think we're almost there."

"Whatever you say, Moses." Hank and Linda both glared at Carter. "Tough room."

Kelly just laughed.

The humor died away as the four slowly opened the security door, watching in utter amazement and horror as Lee's clone army moved through one of the main printing rooms, grabbing money and printing plates, loading all into crates. The men worked silently, like drones, as they took apart shut down presses and gathered their ill-gotten goodies.

"Am I…seeing what I think I'm seeing?" Hank whispered.

Linda nodded. "If you're talking about the Founding Fathers all alive and in triplicate, then yea, your seeing what we are all seeing."

Hank shifted the fire extinguisher he'd grabbed from hand to hand, the gun Kelly had made him grab, along with ammo, feeling awkward in his pocket. "You know…times like this…I wonder if I'm going crazy."

"Considering Carter's the one that first put you in the nut house…" Kelly answered. "…I think we can all agree you aren't." She adjusted the ammo belt she had draped around her chest, then cocked the double-barreled shotgun. "Ready?"

Carter nodded, powering up his hands. "Remember the plan." They had spent 10 minutes coming up with a plan of attack in the supply room, one that, they hoped, would insure their survival. The manipulator clenched his hands, feeling his powers begging to be unleashed. "Remember Hank…be stealthy. We'll cover you."

"Got it."

Carter turned to the clones. "HEY!" All of them turned, staring at him with dull eyes. "What was that saying Ben Franklin use to say? Oh yea…you have nothing to fear…" He fired a blast, 5 clones falling to their knees. "…but fear itself!"

"That was Roosevelt." Linda corrected.

"Fine. Carter Daniels use to say…PANIC!" Hands lit up like stars, Carter rushed into the mob, striking every clone he could, calling out emotion after emotion. His arms swung about as he punched the founding fathers, each hit loaded with whammy-goodness. The old men were sent scurrying as he rained blow after blow on them, clearing a path. "PANIC!" he roared, firing off a double-fisted blast that leveled 30 of the clones, their silence broken by cries of terror. "Dr. Frey, stage two!"

"Got it!" Linda cried out, eyes glowing blue as she summoned all the water in Philly to her aid. Cracks appeared in the cement as her water jets blasted skyward. Waving her hand, she sent a wave of H2O into the ground as they were nearing Carter, covering his back as he worked.

Kelly was firing at anything that moved, shells falling to the ground like hailstones as she blasted the clones. Soon, where once men had stood, there were now drawings, riddled with bullet holes.

"How did you know they weren't human?" Hank asked.

"They're not human? Even better!" Kelly laughed, reloading two handguns and firing into the crowd.

Linda clenched her fist in anger. Her water blasts were doing little good; the clones did not feel pain like humans did, and thus just kept coming for more. Frustrated, she didn't realize she had channeled her rage into her attack, not until she heard a clone scream as a blast of water cut him apart.

"Dr. Frey!" Hank shouted. "Water at high speeds can cut through steel. Focus on a small amount and make it go fast!"

Agreeing with the idea, her eyes narrowed as she released the water into a mere pull, then sent a thin, fast line right at a clone, cutting through him and 4 others standing behind him like they were Swiss cheese.

"Ok, that works!" Linda called out.

"Terror, fear, fright, panic!" Carter called out as he moved deeper into the crowd, flashes of his attacks appearing from the mass of limbs and powdered wings. "Hank!"

"Stage Three." Hank muttered. "Wish me luck."

Kelly paused her firing. "Good luck." She cocked her guns, training them just beside Hank as the young man rushed through the mob, following Carter's path of fear-riddled bodies. Linda, living up to Carter's nickname for her, sent two walls of water after him, separating Carter and him from the rest of the mob. Kelly was firing like mad, hot shells covering her feet as she loaded and unloaded her guns as fast as possible, half her clips already gone for the handguns. The shotgun she would save for last…they needed that one, just to be safe.

"Terror!" Carter shouted, grabbing the head of one clone that had been trapped in the water tunnel and firing his manipulating energy right into his brain. After a moment, the clone's heart exploded, and he was reduced to paper.

"You're enjoying this too much!" Hank yelled.

Carter laughed. "Do what you love, that's what my guidance council use to tell me! When else will I get to kill George Washington? Fear!" The two of them moved quickly through the last of their attackers, and arrived at their target: A good size container marked with all the flammable liquid warning labels. "Set it here." Hank nodded, jamming the fire extinguisher in place, then drawing his gun, firing at a clone that had managed to slip past Kelly. 

"Come on kid, let's blow this thing and go home!" Hank laughed.

"Why do you get to be Han?" Carter whined as they moved back to the girls. Once they were together, Carter began to fire off some quick blasts, while Hank grabbed Kelly's other gun and joined in, the floor was littered with paper, but there were still 200 clones left alive. "Linda, Kelly, remember, when I the magic word, I want you both to go. We can't spare a second." Carter focused as Kelly raised the shotgun. "Founding fathers!" he called out, Hank stopping his reckless shooting. The clones paused, confused. "Its time to spread the word…and that word…is PANIC!"

The instant Carter fired off the massive blast of energy Kelly pulled the trigger, hitting her mark and setting off the extinguisher and the steel container. As the fireball rushed them, Linda forced all the water she'd gathered to rise up through the roof, and slam back down to their level, forcing the water to go faster and faster until a white water wall separated them from the clones. Hank had already grabbed Kelly, pulling her behind the door for her safety, while Carter held Dr. Frey up. The Professor was screaming in agony as she forced the water to keep going, fighting against the fire that now pushed against her barrier. Carter wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her up, supporting her as she drew all her energy out into this final defense.

"Almost!" Carter screamed over the raging water and screaming clones. He could hear them as they burn to pieces, reduced to nothing but ash. "Drop it, now!" Carter exclaimed, and Linda groaned, passing out as the water crashed to the ground, soaking them all and revealing the damage. The area was destroyed, metal twisted from the sudden heat, the crates and money and clone paper now dust. All that remained was the four travelers, standing in the wreckage.

Carter cradled Linda, Hank hurrying to help his new friend out. Kelly was by their side, looking on with wide eyes.

"We did it." She whispered in awe. "We did it."

Hank smiled, and was soon laughing, after a moment all three cheering in delight.

They'd done it.

&&&

Marshal snarled as he slammed his fist into Galatea's face, fangs flashing as he gave her a grin. The strong woman merely cracked her neck before rushing him, powerful fists driving right through stone and brick.

When Marshal and Galatea had tumbled off the building, Marshal had quickly transformed into a bat, gliding down to safety before going back into his hybrid puma form, ready to try and aid the girl…if she were alive.

Galatea had simply stretched her legs out though, powerful muscles absorbing the impact as she made a 1-yard crater in the road.

She hadn't a chance to rest, as Marshal had been on her, clawing and biting at her flesh. He hadn't expected anything to happen when she went to slap him, but moments afterward, when he'd felt his head snap back, he'd sworn he'd been hit by a truck. That's when he had decided to take the kid gloves off, and Philadelphia became their battleground.

They'd fought for ten minutes, Galatea ripping light posts from their foundation and wielding them like clubs. Transforming into a cheetah so he could escape didn't help; Galatea merely used her strength to make super jumps, landing right near him and begin the fight again.

Soon, they had come to the river, battling it out on the tourist's walk. Marshal's claws tore through Galatea's shirt, the woman screaming as he ripped her into her flesh. She gave him a hard kick, cracking some of his ribs. Enraged, the morpher swung his claws, his index finger catcher her on the left cheek, leaving a gash. Galatea cried out in pain, grabbing his arm as she tumbled back and into the river.

Marshal coughs as he arose, looking around for his opponent. He saw Galatea cry out once…twice…then sink down. He scanned the waters, body shivering. Or maybe for a different reason.

Galatea was gone.

&&&

Helena sighed as she watched Lee crawl away from her, wrapping his arms around part of the roof's brick lip. "This is just sad. I've shot you…" He gestured to his leg, where blood was still oozing out. "can we just stop this?"

Lee choked back a laugh. "You think you can stop me? I've been planning this for weeks…"

"If you are getting delusional because of the blood loss, let me know so I can knock you out and patch you up."

"Everyone tries to stop me…everyone stands in my way, doesn't believe I can do anything." Lee ranted, the loss of blood causing him to become delusional. "They won't stop me, you won't, they won't…"

"Geez, who hit your button?" Helena questioned.

Lee just laughed. "I held back, just to be safe…why did I play it safe?" His tone grew confused. "Always play it safe, that's what dad wanted me to do. I'm nothing like him…nothing!" He screamed manically. "How's this for safe, dad!" Lee's head snapped back, eyes glowing. Helena's eyes went wide, and hurrying towards the artist, she smacked his hard. Lee blinked, dazed.

"What was that?" Helena snapped. "What did you do!?"

"Want to stop me?" Lee asked with a laugh. "Oh…its too late for that."

&&&

Hank looked up suddenly, laughter fading as he looked about the remains of the printing room. "Guys…do you hear that."

Carter took a step forward, straining to hear what Hank was listening to. "Yea…sounds like…"

"Footsteps." Kelly said softly.

"A lot of them." Hank added, adjusting Dr. Frey's limp body in his arms so he had a better grip.

Before they could say more, doors slammed open, and hordes of Founding Father Clones burst in. They took one look around, settling on the 4 heroes.

"Them!" A Thomas Jefferson shouted. "They are the ones that stopped Master Lee's first wave!"

"Attack them at once, do not let those ruffians escape!" John Adams cried, shaking his fist in the air. "For Master Lee!"

"For Master Lee!" the clones shouted, running at the group, more pouring from the doors.

"Fall back…" Carter said in fear, eyes wide. Kelly was already readying her gun, as Hank heaved Dr. Frey over his shoulder and moving to the door. "FALL BACK!"


	21. The Hard Part

"Carter!" Kelly shouted, firing off a blast from her shotgun. "Come on, let's go!"

"Go ahead!" Carter shouted. "FEAR!" A row of founding fathers went tumbling back. "I'll cover you! Dread! Horror!"

Kelly shook her head. "You can't…"

"I'm the only one-PANIC-left that can stop them!" Carter exclaimed. "I can't let them get-TERROR-out of the building! If they get loose, they could over run Philly! Fear, fear fear fear fear!" Carter grunted, sending of several whammy bombs. "Hank, get them out of here! I need space for my attacks!"

Hank licked his lips. "Already Carter…"

"NO!" Kelly screamed as Hank wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Go Hank! DREAD!"

Hank locked eyes with Carter as the young man paused after the last blast, understanding passing between the two. Carter was the only one that could stop them, and he couldn't do that while worrying about his friends. And he trusted him to get the girls out. "Carter…" Hank said, voice raw with emotion. "I'm sorry…for everything I did to you…"

Carter nodded his head. "Me too…now…go…my friend."

Hank managed to smile, tears in his eyes. "I'll protect them Carter, I swear to God, I won't let you down."

"CARTER!" Kelly screamed as Hank dragged her out of the door. "CARTER!"

Watching them go, Carter moved towards the door, kicking it shut with his foot. He sighed as he heard it lock, then turned back to the clones that were rapidly surrounding him. "You're not getting through…so the only person you have left to fight is me." He raised his hands, summoning his manipulation power to the surface. Beacons of heroism, Carter clenched his fists as the clones encircled him. "I will not die this day…not by _your_ hands…PANIC!"

&&&

"Move it." Helena snapped, shoving Lee towards her car, gun jammed in his back. "Please don't give me an excuse to shoot you."

"Won't matter…way to late…" Lee laughed, his grasp on reality sorely shaken. "They'll be here soon…soon…"

Helena pressed the gun in harder, wondering how much trouble she would get in for shooting the idiot. Before she could consider the pros and cons, Marshal appeared from the shadows of the parking garage, dressed in a tarp and sopping wet.

"What did you do?" Helena asked.

Marshal growled. "You get to pistol whip chuckles here, I have to deal with Superbitch. Girl was ripping light poles out of the ground and throwing them at me!"

Helena frowned. "That…doesn't explain the water."

Marshal shook his head, tiny droplets flying off his hair. "Yea…me and the lady decided to take a swim in the river."

"Galatea…" Lee laughed. "no one threatens me without facing Galatea!"

"Not anymore, funny boy." Marshal snapped, leaning in close. "She's dead."

Lee blinked, his smile faltering for a moment. "You're lyin'." He stated, smile returning but not as bright.

"Keep telling yourself that. The girl dropped like a stone. Looked everywhere for her…"

"Great." Helena muttered. "We get to explain that to Thompson when he hand this idiot over."

Lee, however, was staring at Marshal, confusion written on his face as he tried to process Galatea's apparent demise. He body shook as he let out a half sigh, half laugh, struggling to figure out what Marshal was trying to tell him. 'It's…it's just not possible. It's Galatea…annoying, clingy…loveable, innocent, kind, gentle, beautiful Galatea.' Lee licked his lips. 'He has to be wrong…he has to be…she can't be…she can't be…gone…' Lee began to shake, though he didn't fully realize he was doing it. 'He's wrong…my Galatea…she wouldn't die like that…she wouldn't…she couldn't…'

"Galatea…" Lee whispered, falling to the ground. "Noooooo!" he wailed, voice like wounded animal.

"Jesus!" Helena shouted, startled by Lee's mood swing. She was furthered startled when her phone rang. Grabbing it, she violently flipped it open and hit speakerphone. "What?"

"Mrs. Daniels…you need to see this." The tech said, the screen flicking to a security cam. "He suddenly appeared…whoever was shielding him must be gone…"

Helena watched as the tiny figure on her cell's screen thrashed about, firing off several blasts before he was knocked down, a mass of men in powdered wings overrunning him and beating him down.

"Carter…" Helena whispered.

&&&

"Terror!" Carter shouted, throwing his hands about his wildly, trying to drive the mob back. The clones were closing in, and while he managed to take out a few with every blast, twice as many would take the empty space. He panted, knuckles bleeding and back bent from exhaustion.

He screamed as one clone grabbed him by his hair, snapping his head back and causing him to see stars. His arms pinwheeled as he fell back, sending out random whammy blasts. Landing hard on his back, Carter grunted as the clones began to assault him with kicks, old-fashioned shoes driving into his gut and chest. Carter screamed as one struck his face, blood pouring from his nose.

"fearfearfearfearfearfearfear!" Carter shot off rapidly, sending off several blast that took out 30 of the clones. He rolled onto his stomach, crying out as his broken ribs protested. Rising to his feet, he wobbled and weaved before he managed to fight off the darkness that threatened to overtake him.

Narrowing his eyes, he glared at the clones as he grit his teeth. "You want to get through? No on my watch…" He coughed, blood coating his face as he cradled his stomach. "…I still…have one last trick…" His body shook as his eyes began to glow silver. "All this time…I have had to watch what I saw. You know what its like, to live in a world where one misspoken word can kill someone? I thought these powers would take away my inability to speak…but they only gave me a new problem." The clones stared at him as Carter ranted. "But all this time, I feel this…bubble, in the pit of my stomach. And it just keeps getting bigger, and bigger…and when I use my power, when I make people feel what I want them to feel, it shrinks for a moment, just a moment." He opened his hand, energy dancing along his fingers. "But I've always held back, for safety. But you idiots…you can take what I have. So, let's take my finger out of the dike, and see if just how much water is behind the dam…" he turned his eyes skyward as he held out both his hands, the manipulation power coming forth. **"PANIC!"**

The blast was stronger then what he expected, Carter's body going ramrod stiff as his arms jackknifed straight. He looked like he had been crucified, hands glowing silver as all around him the screams of the clones filled the air. Carter pressed on, forcing the blast to continue, tapping deeper and deeper into his power. He could feel it, the bubble, and he brought it forth to the surface. His face was red, eyes clenched as he screamed the energy filling the room and out, venturing through the building. He trembled, digging deeper…

Carter's eyes snapped open.

"Oh God …" he managed to whisper, before his head was thrown back, the manipulating power firing out of his mouth and eyes, straight into the ceiling. His screams grew silent as his entire body glowing red save for his eyes and mouth and hands, which remained silver. The roof could not take the assault, and the energy managed to shatter it as it sought hosts to infect.

The dam had broken at last, and Carter Daniel's power had been fully unleashed.

&&&

(Moments Earlier)

"Stay here!" Hank shouted, laying Linda Frey out on a bench, before turning to Kelly. "Make sure she is safe."

"No!" Kelly shouted. "I'm going back in there to help Carter!"

"Someone needs to stay with Dr. Frey." He argued. "We can't leave her here."

Kelly nodded. "Of course. You stay here, and I will go back and help Carter."

"You can't…" Hank protested.

Kelly frowned. "Why not? I'm the better shot." Hank sputtered for a moment, and the editor rolled her eyes. "When I get back, we are going to have a long talk about equal rights in emergency situations."

"Hey!" A woman called out. "Get away from that building!" The dark haired woman hurried towards them, only to skid to a stop when she saw who it was. "Kelly Raegan?"

"Mrs. Daniels?" Kelly was dumbstruck at seeing her best friend's mother standing there in a black pants suit, gun in hand.

Hank looked back and forth between the two women. "T-t-that's Carter's mom?!?"

"Where is my son?" Helena snapped, in no mood to answer questions. "Where is he Kelly? Is he still in the building."

"Yea…I was just…"

"Stay here. I'll get it."

Kelly and Hank both shook their heads. "No way…"

BOOM!

Hank grabbed Kelly, pulling her back just as a piece of the Mint's roof hurtled down into the street, smoting the assault. Helena was diving back a well, eyes glued to the tower of energy that had fired out of the US Mint and into the sky, lighting up the Philadelphia night. They all were silent, petrified at what they were seeing before them. For people that had been around the impossible, this was too much to handle all at once.

Linda groaned, shaking her head as she struggled to clear her thoughts. Sitting up, she found her throat was dry and lips chapped, and considering she was the mistress of water, that was a bit ironic. However, she had no time to contemplate that, judging by the column of silver energy that was touching the clouds.

"What the hell?" She murmured, holding her palm to her throbbing skull. "Did we…" She squinted. "Carter?"

The spell was broken, Hank, Kelly and Helena turning to stare at each other. "Carter." They all whispered, before rushing towards the building.

They only made it 4 steps before each was driven back, clutching their heads, screaming and crying out. Linda, realizing they were in danger, held up her hand and fought through the pain to summon a blast of water from a fire hydrant to push them back. Gasping, Linda staggered to them, falling to her hands and knees.

"What…?"

"Carter…" Hank managed to get out, shaking off the mild whammy. "Its Carter…"

"He's doing this." Kelly whispered.

Helena gulped. "Something's wrong."

&&&

Seth stood on the ledge of the Natural History Building, watching the events unfold. He had been carefully looking out for Carter, ready to step in should Lee's clones get out of hand. But he had not expected this.

He had not expected a tower of Carter's manipulation power to ascend skyward, dwarfing even the tallest skyscraper in Philly.

The Frenchman knew the danger the city now faced. If this blast were to expand, all those that dwelled here would be caught in the blast, the chemicals in their brain altered to induce fear, panic…it would lead to chaos, mayhem, anarchy the likes of which the world had never seen. Those too weak to survive would be killed in mere moment, their hearts unable to handle the strain. The people that survived the first moments could be scarred for life, their minds lost.

'Its all up to Carter now…he's the only one strong enough…to save Philly from himself.'

&&&

Carter was in agony.

It felt as if his soul were being ripped to shreds, reduced to ashes, then glued together so the process could be repeated. His skin felt like it was melting off, his eyes burned, his throat roar, his ribs screamed in protest. He could no longer feel the blood that poured from his broken nose down his face, or the blood that was now coming from his ears and mouth. His spine was to its breaking point, the manipulating energy forcing him to bend back farther and farther.

All he could feel was pain.

And then…a light in the darkness.

"Fight Carter."

The voice was soft, loving, but also strict. Caring yet forceful, it broke through to his pain-addled brain and drew his attention to it and away from the agony that were these last few minutes.

"You are not meant to die this way" The feminine voice stated.

Carter pushed harder towards the voice, the pain dulling as he focused on the woman's soft spoken words.

"You are a hero, the heir of Isaiah." The voice scolded. "Men of you standing do not give in so easily"

In that moment, Carter knew what he had to do. Straining with all the force he had, he drew his arms towards his head, every inch feeling like a mile. He could feel the voice coxing him on, cheering him on as first his right, then his left hand grabbed onto the hair on the back of his head. He tensed his muscles, as if waiting for some signal.

"Do not die a monster"

Carter screamed, driving his head forward with all his might. He could feel the muscles in his neck tear, the strain too much. But it didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore then stopping what he had started. The clones were dead, the city was safe…all that remained was the clean up the final danger.

Himself.

He could not be allowed to harm another soul.

As he fell to the floor, Carter forced his head into his knees, his scratchy throat filling with acid as he screamed. He shielded his face with his arms, moving into the fetal position as he sent everything he was sending out right back into him. Tears of blood ran down his face as he cried out, all the fear, all the terror…all the panic he had sent out returning within him in one final blast.

His body shook as he screamed; yet he never let go. He never considered it, not for a second. Carter held out, suffering pain that no mortal had ever felt, or would ever feel again. He would do this alone, by himself…for Carter Daniels was a hero.

And as his vision failed him, he saw not darkness but light. The purest light he could imagine. He felt the world melt away, he felt the weight leave his soul and free at last. He saw his friends and family, one by one.

He saw Linda.

He saw Kelly.

He saw Hank.

He saw his mother.

He saw his father.

He saw Claire.

Carter smiled.

"This is not the end, brother" The voice whispered.

Then…nothing.

&&&

"It…stopped." Kelly said softly.

The group nodded, taken by the sudden change. One moment, the column had been above them, like some terrible Tower of Babel, the next it had seemed like it would fall, crush them all. Yet, as they'd closed their eyes, the blow had never come, and they found the energy done.

"What…what happened?" Linda asked.

"Carter." Helena whispered. "Carter happened." She grinned, racing into the building, Carter's friends close on her heels. Kelly ripped open the security door, leading them to the manufacturing floor, all of them calling out for Carter. A few minutes later, they reached the door, and Helena threw it open, rushing forward…

…only to freeze.

Hank nearly ran into Carter's mother, skidding to a stop just in time. He looked over her shoulder, and immediately felt the contents of his stomach rise in his throat. He turned, losing the battle, bile and stomach acid spilling onto the floor and drenching the drawings of the founding fathers that littered the concrete floor.

Kelly felt as if her whole world had been shattered as she stared at Carter's broken, limp body. Her vision blurred from tears, her throat constricted, and she could not stop the scream that rose through her.

Linda fought once more to remain conscious. However, at the moment…she could not help but wonder if the world of sleep would not be better then this dark reality.

Helena rushed forward, falling to her knees and gathering Carter's broken body in her arms. She ran a hand along her son's face, tears in her eyes as she cupped his cheek in her palm, tender fingers running along the dried bloodlines running along his face. The others slowly gathered round as a trembling hand played with his hair, brushing it from his eyes.

"Carter…" She whispered, smiling softly. "Momma's here, baby. Momma's here, and everything is gonna be better. We need to talk…I have so much to tell you." Her voice warbled. "Then, we can go home sweetheart. We can go home, and we can watch TV, and play games, and eat pizza…" Her voice cracked. "so you need to wake up baby. You need to wake up for me, ok? You need to wake up." She clutched him close. "Please…please…" She looked up, through the hole her son had made, to the stars above. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry." Helena began to cry. "Don't take him for me. I'll do it right this time…I'll make it up…just bring him back…please…please don't take him from me…please…"

Kelly was sobbing now, her face buried in her hands. Hank was standing off to the side, eyes never leaving Carter's body, tears running down his cheeks. Linda ghosted her fingers along Carter's neck, hoping beyond hope…

…and coming up empty.

"He's…he's gone." She whispered. "Carter's gone."

Helena let out a anguished howl, pulling her son's head to her breast. She rocked back and forth, crying out at the unfairness of the world.

"Carter…" She gasped, heartbroken. "Carter…"

&&&

Author's Note 1: Don't kill me! I have two more chapters, and I beg you to please be patient. We still have a lot to cover, and I promise, Elsewhere's first season still has some surprise twists left that will blow you away, and perhaps even a happy ending. Please remember to review, ask questions, give opinions and theories, or even suggests of what you want to see.

Author's Note 2: This chapter was planned out during the first break of Elsewhere, in December. I have both waiting and dreaded this chapter, and it is bittersweet to see it posted. I myself broke down writing Carter's death scene, as well as Helena's monologue. Infact, I'm getting tears in my eyes right now. The song that this scene was scripted to is fitting enough, and I ask you to stop after reading this song and simply list to it: The Fray's "How to Save a Life"

Author's Note 3: Molly and Vally's powers are different. Molly can find any person, just by thinking about them. Valencia can see people with powers, see the genetic difference that make them different from normal humans.

Author's Note 4: Thank you…to all the readers, to all the fans…just…thank you. Please, keep reading.


	22. Landslide

"Don't talk to anyone, ok? And don't look them in the eye. We don't want them recognizing us, alright? We're just going to pop in her and see if they will let us get some rest, ok? Then we'll go back on the road…maybe go see Tia Rosa down in Mexico City? You remember Tia Rosa, don't you? She came last summer, after mama and daddy…well, she came and stayed with us for a few weeks, remember?"

Vally nodded, eyes blinking closed as the two pulled into the shelter parking lot. The sun would not rise for hours, and, from the looks of it, neither would Vally.

(Madrid and Valencia Alverez- New Mexico)

Madrid killed engine, looking around at the empty spaces for a few moments before sliding out of the car. She hurried over to the passenger side, the tar from the lot digging into her bare feet. Not for the first time, she wished she had remembered to put on shoes. Lifting Vally from the passenger seat, she also wished she had brought a car seat.

Carrying her to the door, Madrid shook her head, forcing herself to cry. She needed to play the part, if she wanted to secure a good nights rest and a mind secure in the knowledge they were safe.

Moving quickly to the door, she pulled it open, hurrying into the florescent-lit hallway, making her way to the sleepy check-in girl. The large woman blinked, forcing the cobwebs from her brain.

"Can I help you?"

Madrid's voice came out shaken and weak, a far cry from the independent and sophisticated Hollywood girl she was. She purposely put on the heaviest Spanish accent she could, so stereotypical and thick she was sure her mother and father were screaming at her in Heaven. "I…I told this safe place…when you no have place go?"

The old woman gave her an understanding smile. "Husband giving you problems, sweetie?"

"No." Madrid said with a have morose, half bitter laugh. "My papi." She sniffed, tears pouring down her face. "All we have is clothing on backs…"

The woman nodded. They got a lot of girls like this: knocked up when they were still babies themselves, living at home because they couldn't afford anything else, dealing with an alcoholic father…if they were lucky.

"Come on…we got a nice little room the two of you can share. Been a long night, I wager. Once you have a good nights rest, you and I can sit down and discuss what options you have."

"Gracias." Madrid said as the woman led her back into one of the small one-room bedrooms. 'And the Oscar goes too…' Madrid thought with a laugh.

&&&

(Doctor Linda Frey, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

'How did we end up like this?' Linda thought, sitting on the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum. It was early morning, maybe 6 am or so, and the November sun was just beginning to rise. It was a warm fall, but Linda felt as if it were 50 below. Her heart ached that much.

It had taken 30 minutes for Carter's mother to get a handle on herself. She had sobbed so hard, Linda was for sure they would not leave until the day staff of the Mint came in to investigate the destruction. And that Linda could blame her. She felt like collapsing in her grief as well.

But then, Helena had stood up, and she had lifted her son's body like it was nothing. Black trench coat draped like a funeral shroud over the young man's body, Helena had calmly marched outside, somehow managing to grab her cellphone and call up someone named Marshal to come and pick them up.

Hank had been the first to leave. He had promised to meet them in the parking garage at 7, to discuss what to do next, to get some answers about what Helena was doing there. Then, he'd just walked away, fading into the darkness.

Kelly had wandered off, mumbling something about needing time to think, before she too left. Marshal wanted them to stay, but Helena disagreed.

"_We all need time to think."_ She had said.

And that is how Linda had found herself here, perched on the top step of the most famous stairs in America. The stairs where Rocky had climbed, a moment of American history. Everyone knew Rocky. You didn't even need to have seen the film to know of the Italian Stallion. It was ingrained in people's brains: The underdog that became a boxer, a champ, a winner.

Once, a statue of Rocky had been discussed, placed at the top step. Something for the tourists, but outcry had killed that idea.

Linda wished there was a statue.

She wanted to smash its head off.

She had once been like them too, the people that knew Rocky without even seeing a single frame of him and his movie. She had even crowed the famous line to DL, "Yo Adrian!". It had been engraved in her mind too…

'What did he ever do though? Fight in a stupid ring against another muscle-headed idiot…didn't even do that, it was all fake. They wanted to make a statue to some fictional character?' Linda gripped her head in her hands.

She was pissed. She was pissed that Rocky would even be considered for a statue. That so idiot actor that had made only a handful of good movies might get a statue based on his character…when real heroes died without fanfare.

Carter had done more then Rocky. He had been a shy, stammering young man that could barely speak to people he knew, let alone strangers. He had become their leader, a confident commander who giving rallying speeches and inspired ordinary people to rise up and fight for what they knew was just.

Carter had been their everything. He had taken them into war, had fought shoulder to shoulder with them, and never let any of them give up. And when all had turned dark, and their lives were at risk…Carter had, without thought, sacrificed his own life to protect them.

There would be no one to quote his famous words. No one to dress like him on Halloween. No one to make crappy sequels about his life…there would be no sequels period.

Carter Daniels would get no statue.

And that's why Linda finally broke down and cried.

&&&

(Hank Delpine- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

His footfalls echoed through the church as he made his way to the front most pew. His shoulders squared in determination, his set on his destination, Hank made his way to the pew, his every movement filled with purpose.

The holy water felt cold against his skin, a drip forming on his fingers as he knelt down on the kneeler. Above him, towering over him as only the Son of God could, was the image of Christ, hanging on the cross, dying for the sins of man. The savior's eyes were closed, head tilted down, body in that familiar position. This was a sight Hank had seen many times before, and each time he liked to think he saw Jesus a different way. The young man that had not asked for his burden. The humble man that just wanted to aid the sick and the weak. The forgiver of sins. The blesser of the shunned. The son. A third of the holy trinity.

And now…he was Hank's last hope.

"God in Heaven…hear my prayer." Hank began, voice soft and formal. He stopped himself, jaw working slightly, before he began to talk again. This time, his tone was more casual, but with respect…like how a son would talk to a father. "My name is Hank Anthony Delpine. These many years, I have come to you and prayed. I prayed for forgiveness, for advice, for someone to merely hear my sadness. Today, I come to you for a favor.

"It concerns Carter Daniels. I have talked you about him before. I have told you about my frustrations, my disappointment in him. I asked you to help him, to show him the way into your light." He paused. "Maybe you did…I just didn't see it.

"Much has changed…since I last spoke of Carter. I have learned so much, Lord, about the world, about myself…and about Carter Daniels. I have seen the man that lay hidden in the boy, and I came to realize that I had been gravely mistaken about him. About a lot of things.

"But that is not why I am here now, my Lord. I have come for a favor, as I said earlier. You saw what happened just a while ago. You saw what Carter did for all of us. He gave his life…so that we might live. I hated him…for so long. Hurt him, made him a leper…scared every day that I would come after him.

"And so…I come to you, with but a single request." Hank opened his eyes, tears running down his cheek. "Take me instead. I have no powers…no purpose. I am not a hero…I'm nothing. Carter…he can do so much good in your name. More then I could ever do.

"So please…take me instead."

The church was silent as Hank closed his eyes. He looked skyward, waiting…hoping…wishing for a sign that his prayer would be answered.

Silence greeted him.

"Why would you keep me around? I used your name in vain, in my own attempts for greatness. I am a speck!" His voice grew frantic. "Carter should be here, not me! He can change the world! He's strong enough to do so…please…take me." Silence. "TAKE ME!"

After a few minutes, Hank stood up once more, making his way out of the church. His body language had changed greatly from how he had entered. His shoulders slumped, head down, eyes downcast, his strides were hurried and clumsy.

Rushing out of the church, he continued running, not stopping until he reached the Schuylkill River, emptying the contains of his stomach into the waters below. Gasping, Hank clawed at his shirt, fingers frantic, until he found what he was looking for.

The cross he always wore upon his neck.

In anger he ripped it off, fist clenched around it, before throwing the gold chain and tiny symbol of his faith into the water.

And as he walked away, for the first time, he knew the truth. No one was listening to him up there.

And, not for the first time…Hank was completely wrong.

&&&

_1 ½ hours later_

"Let me get this straight." Linda said, leaning against Helena's car. She didn't bother to look over at Lee's prone form, knocked out and tied up in the back. She had no desire to see the man they all blamed for the death of Carter Daniels. All she hoped was that whatever prison they were taking to, it had big guys like DL that would take it out on the like skinny guy's ass. "You are really a member of a secret organization ran by the Linderman Group."

"Yup." Helena said.

"You track people like me and Carter, let Linderman's main agent Thompson know, and he collects said people?"

"Yea."

"And this guy can turn into animals."

Marshal nodded.

"Ok…so, when Carter began to show powers, you were assigned to bring him in, because your bosses think him and his sisters are special?"

Helena nodded. "Sarah Ellis, aka Eden, had powers like Carter, only she could use her voice to thrall you. Claire Bennet…"

"Who is Carter's sister and the adopted daughter of one of your fellow agents…" Kelly added.

"Right, she can regenerate." Helena finished.

Linda nodded. "Anyway…you were telling them you were going to bring him in, but really planned on having him help you free someone like us from the prison you're taking…" She jerked her thumb at Lee.

"Pretty much."

"Except a man that can make smoke, the same man that gave Carter his coat and explained that he was the last scion of two powerful families, appeared to tell you he had taken your husband, Carter's dad, and wanted Carter in exchange?"

"That's the gist."

Linda nodded, Hank crossing his arms over his chest and Kelly just standing there. Finally, the professor spoke. "What happens now?"

Helena licked her lips. "We…we're going to take Carter's body back to them, to show them that he is really dead. And then…then I want you guys to help me free the prison I spoke of. Tina. We're going to need her help, if we are going to take down the people that kidnapped my husband."

Marshal nodded. "I'm gonna get another car…"

"No."

Helena stared at Kelly. The young woman had raised her head at least, and her eyes were hard with determination. "What?"

"We're not going with you."

Helena shook her head in denial. "I…I can't do this alone. Tina is a victim, just like Carter. She doesn't deserve to be locked away like an animal…" Marshal growled, and Helena continued, "…she can help me free my husband…you need to come with us."

"No." Kelly said sternly. "We aren't going with you."

Marshal glared at her. "Carter would want you to save the girl."

"And we will." Kelly snapped. "But we have to help someone else first."

"Who?"

"Claire." Hank answered, on the same wavelength as Kelly.

"Claire…Claire is fine. Her adopted father, last I heard he was going after her…"

Kelly cut her off. "I don't care." She took in a few ragged breaths. "We only know of two of Carter's sisters: Eden and Claire. This man that is after her…Carter called him Sylar…" Helena shivered at the mention of that name. "…he already is the cause of Eden's death. I won't let another one of his sisters die."

Hank stepped forward in support of Kelly. "We're going to find her, and we are going to tell her how her brother was a hero." He smiled weakly. "I can think of no better fate then to protect my friend's little sister."

Linda nodded. "And then…all of us, Kelly, Hank, Claire, and me…we are going to come to your office, and we are going to free Tina and get Carter's body. And after we bury him…we are going to save his dad."

Helena blinked, getting a bit teary-eyed again at this brave display. "You were such good friends to Carter…I can't thank you enough for making his last days so happy." She managed a smile. "You'll find Claire in New York, that's where the last sighting of her was. I kept the info hidden, so you shouldn't have to work about my employers. Find her…" she gave Linda a cellphone. "Then call me up. I am the first number on the speed dial. I will arrange for pick-up, and then we will all go get Tina and Vic."

Linda nodded, pocketing the phone. "We'll see you soon. Goodbye Mrs. Daniels."

Helena nodded, shaking hands with each of them. "Goodbye…see ya soon."

&&&

"You did the right thing calling us." Terence said, watching as his men loaded Madrid and Valencia Alverez' unconscious forms into the van.

It had been so easy to nab them. Once they had gotten the call, one of their local teams had driven up, snuck into the room and shot them both with a mild sedative. Kinda sad, in Terence's opinion. The girls had never woken up, probably had no idea they were taken. And they wouldn't until the drugs wore off, and by then they would be at their new home. Terence sighed. He had wanted a most spectacular showdown, but he would take the by-the-book grab when he needed to.

The tranq darts had been removed, and the girls would be out until they were back on base. There, he could let his bosses worry about what to do with them. "We've been looking for these two for a few days now…"

The check-in girl nodded. "Don't know who they were fooling. Their pictures were plastered all over the news. I nearly crapped my pants when I saw movie star Madrid Alverez walk into the shelter."

The agent nodded. "I'm sure."

"I assume there is some reward in all this?" The woman asked. Terence shook his head. Tell people to turn in a killer and they would protect him. Tell people there was a reward for 2 young women that ran away from home, and everyone was looking to cash in. "Will I get it in cash? I got my eye on a new corvette, and I'd like to avoid going to the bank and dealing with a check…"

Terence shook his head. "Oh, don't worry, you'll get your reward right now."

The woman smiled, greedy little eyes darting about as she sought her prize…only to widen as Terence pressed his fingers to the back of her skull. Instantly, the electrical signals within the woman's brain, the ones that told her arms to wiggle in glee at the thought of cool hard cash in her hands, fizzled out.

As did the ones that told her heart to beat.

With a groan, she fell to the ground, Terence's lips twisted in a sneer.

"Maybe in your next life you'll learn to care more about people and less about cash, ya heartless bitch."

&&&

Author's Note: Terence was first seen in the chapter Parasite.

Remember to review. When you ask questions, I try to answer them as fully as possible, and I will comment back.


	23. How To Stop An Exploding Man

"_What is the end? Is it a moment when all is gone, when everything is destroyed, and we are left with what we started with: Nothing? Is it when the light fades, and darkness covers our great works? Is it a sleep that we never awake from? A time of mourning? A time of loss?"_

_-Mohinder Suresh_

&&&

She threw herself against the door, crying out in frustration when it wouldn't budge. She paused, catching her breath, before throwing herself forward once more.

(Madrid Aleverz- CLASSIFIED)

She had awoken hours ago to find herself trapped in a small room, much larger then the one she had gone to sleep in. Her clothing was gone, replaced with a white t-shirt and sweatpants, her feet bare. A quick peak had confirmed she was no longer wearing the lacy black bra and panties she'd put on yesterday, instead donning what best could be called 'granny panties'.

But what had chilled her to the bone was the fact that her sister was nowhere to be found.

Crying out for Vally, she had refused to the door, finding it looked shut. Frustrated, she had pounded of the barrier, fists bruised from the assault. She had given herself a few moments, before throwing herself against the metal door, in hopes of breaking it down…or at least make enough noise that someone came in.

Madrid didn't know how long she had been going at it, but she wasn't about to give up. Her sister was missing, and she needed to find her, now.

"Hey!" She screamed, slamming against the door. "Let me out! You hear me? I want to see my sister! Let me out of here right now!" She began to pound hard, growing more desperate. "Where's my sister?"

"They have here." A small voice said. Madrid whipped about, trying to figure out where the voice was coming from. "The vent…" Madrid moved towards the air vent, standing on her tiptoes.

"Who is 'they'?"

"The people that run this place." A woman's voice said. "The people that kidnapped both of us, because we have powers."

Madrid frowned. "Why?"

The woman sighed. "Not for sure. Some people I think they just want to examine, use for their own purposes. Atleast, that's the only reason I can think of for people like us working for them." Her voice grew angrier. "I swear, if I get these damn restraints off, I'm melting that bitch Candice's face off until she shows me her real one."

"Something tells me your not one of those people."

The woman laughed. "I like you, ya got fire. If I get out of here, I'll make sure to melt your door. We can have some fun then…ya up for some fun?"

Madrid managed a weak chuckle, slightly disturbed by the other woman. "Anything that gets me out of here…I need to make sure my sister is ok."

"As long as her power isn't a threat, she'll be fine."

"I…I don't know what Vally can do. Her eyes glow."

The woman snorted. "They'll figure it out. They have a knack for that. Can't say its pleasant for the person they're studying, but they figure it out."

"They…they won't hurt her though, will they?" Madrid whispered. "She's only 3…a baby. They wouldn't hurt a little girl, would they?"

"Don't know." The woman said. "But considering their boss is my dad, and that didn't stop them from poking and prodding me…I'd say that wouldn't be such a good sign." Madrid broke down in tears at that, and the woman listened on. "But what do I know? I'm just some punk girl just out of her teens with daddy issues." She paused. "Listen…I'm sure your sister is fine…uh…"

"Madrid…Madrid Alverez."

"Madrid." Another pause. "And my name is Tina…Tina Linderman."

&&&

(Philadelphia)

The river was quiet. No one around, and the water ran smoothly along the banks. The sky was overcast, causing the water to appear almost gray. Silence hung over the town that sat next to the river, people going about their business. Only the begins of rumors were forming, of the light that had pierced the sky. A few birds that had not yet flown south gathered near the river's edge, seeking out crumbs to snack on.

And then…a figure shot out of the water.

Hanging in the air for a moment, her body plummeted back to earth, crashing down and cracking the cement. Her strong, long legs uncurled, allowing the Amazon-like woman to stand. Her hair hung limp in her eyes, which were dark with determination. She walked forward, droplets rolling down the shreds of cloth that had once been her shirt. She continued her stride, like some wicked version of the Lady in the Lake, the birds fluttered out of her way.

The woman known as Galatea knew something had changed. The battle with the morpher had separated her from the man she called master, and led her to the river. She had been caught in the waves, and submitted to darkness. She had awoke hours later, body slowly drifting down river, and she forced herself to try and swim to shore. But she couldn't, her injuries too great, and finally she sank, giving in.

And that's when she found it. The speck of light on the riverbed. She didn't know what possessed her to go after it, but she swam, grasping it in her hands.

A small golden cross on a chain.

It had given her the strength to leap from the river that was about to be her tomb, to make it to dry land again.

She raised her head, reaching out across the bond between her and Lee. He was gone…moving fast. Galatea frowned, anger burning deep within her.

She stared down at the trinket, her reflection smiling back…even if her own face showed a much different emotion. "Lee…someone dares take him from me?" She snarled, thinking of her master.

"Master…now that is an interesting." Another voice, the new voice that had suddenly awoken when she had been drawn into the darkness. "You have no master, little sister. You are strong…powerful. You are no one's slave…if anything, Lee is your slave, your pet. You are the master…and it is time he knew about it."

"And he will know." Galatea agreed.

"It's time for the world to learn the name Galatea…learn that she is not a force to trifle with."

"Tell me what to do, Jessica?"

The image of Jessica grinned from the cross. The irony was not lost that she was talking from a cross, yet not speaking for the angels…but a much different team. "We where they took him…and we retrieve our pet."

Galatea tensed, then leapt into the air, rocketing over the city.

Heading for Lee.

&&&

"Are you sure, Seth?"

Seth sighed, pulling his mask off. "I identified his body myself…it was Daniels."

"Your boss will not be happy with this." Lord William said over the phone.

"I know…that is why I called you. I am unsure what to do."

"What do you mean? Did you not say that Carter Daniels was the Heir of Isaiah, the Last Scion of the House of Ellis? The one we have been looking for all these years, have been waiting to rise? If he is dead, that means the legends are false. There is nothing left for you to do but return here."

Seth was silent as he walked along the roof of the building he now stood on, considering how much of his hand to play. "I am still not at ease. There is something wrong here…I need to investigate this more carefully. The pieces fit too well."

"There is something you are not telling me."

Seth huffed, a wisp of smoke escaping his lips. "I can not speak for sure until I investigate further. Tell my boss that I have been delayed…and hide Carter's death from him."

Lord William didn't speak for a moment. "Alright, but you will not delay talking to him forever."

"I know…I will contact you when I know more."

&&&

As the phone cut off, Lord William set it down, his breath coming out in gasps. Behind him, a man dressed in a dark suit raised his fingers, releasing the pressure he had been forcing down on the older man.

"Seth is such a fool, believing in prophecies such as that. Did you not tell him that such things are children stories?" The man said with a laugh, but Lord William only glared at him. "He should be more worry about himself."

"You will not get away with this, Me..."

He was silenced when the hand lowered his hand, sending the English Lord crashing to the ground.

"I think I will." The man said. He walked towards the old man, lowering his hand a bit more and making him scream. "Because you will not be saying a word of warning to the boy, will you? No…I think you are going to be retiring soon enough…to a nice, tropical island where you can read your books, and not worry about the Alliance." He grinned, patting on the cheek with his free hand. "Because, after all…I'm going to be here to watch over everything." His smile faltered, and he lowered his hand again, Lord William's screams filling the reading room.

&&&

Carter Daniels had come to three conclusions:

Dying sucked

Waking up to endless white all around you sucked

Did he mention that dying sucked?

He awoke flat on his back, surrounded by nothingness. It was like one of those Mac ads, except that old guy with the glasses or the 20 year old everyone knew smoked pot of the weekends weren't there. No, Carter was all alone.

With a new wardrobe.

Gone was his tee and jeans. Instead, he got a white open dress shirt and baggy white pants. White shoes, too. Atleast he had kept his duster, even if the colors were reversed and it too were white with the symbol of Ellis now black.

He looked around for a few moments, getting his bearings. Last he remembered, he had gone nuclear, and a voice had told him to sacrifice himself. He'd seen light, and then felt nothing…only to wake up here.

'Well, I don't see Satan, so Hank was wrong about me burning in Hell…' He thought. 'But no gate to eternal bliss…'

Carter began to walk around, unsure if he was getting anywhere. He took off a shoe, and began to walk for a few minutes. Turning, he found he couldn't find the shoe, but when he looked back, there it was, between his feet.

"Great." He mumbled, deciding to do the only thing he could think of. "HEY! WHERE AM I?" He shouted. "IS ANYONE HERE?" He spun around, searching. "WHERE AM I?"

"You're safe." Carter darted around, hands held out, energy pulsing. A woman with short dark hair, a cute, small face, with dark, cunning eyes watched him. She was dressed as he was, all in white, and seemed amused by his antics. "Don't bother, our powers cancel each other out."

"Who are you?"

The woman shrugged. "I go by many names. I was born Sarah, but most knew me as Eden…"

"Eden?" Carter whispered, dropping his hand, the energy fading away.

Eden McCain, aka Sarah Ellis, grinned as she walked towards him. She looked up at him, Carter a few inches taller. "Hello baby brother." She didn't have time to react, before she found her arms full, her brother holding her tight as he buried his head on her shoulder, crying softly. She stroked his hair, murmuring soothing words, as he held his eldest sister tight. "It's ok, Carter…it's ok."

"I'm so sorry…" he whimpered. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you."

Eden smiled, rubbing his back. "It was my time, Carter. I understand now, that it was my time to die. I can only be glad I was able to stop Sylar from taking my power." She gently pushed him away, looking him over. He looked to be an utter wreck. But still, she couldn't help but smile. "We all have our destinies Carter, and mine was to die when I did."

"Just like it was mine."

Carter turned to see they were no longer alone. Men and women, of different ages and different races, all stood around him, all dressed in white. They all watched him, eyes curious, some filled with laughter, as he moved to try and protect his sister.

"It's ok, Carter. They're my friends…besides, we're all dead, remember?" Eden said.

He slowly lowered his hands. "Who are you all?"

"Victims of Sylar, and others like him." One man said, his long hair just brushing his shoulders. "Each of us did not have a chance to be a hero…atleast, not yet."

"I don't know, Isaac." A large woman dressed in what best could be described as white work bibs said. "That little trick with the sketchbook seemed pretty heroic to me."

"Leave him alone, Dale." Charlie said with a smile. She looked over at Carter. "You'll get use to them…eventually."

Carter looked at Eden. "Nice friends."

"Considering all our brains were destroyed, makes sense we're a bit nuts." Zane commented, chuckling. Carter eyed him cautiously, and the man shrugged. "Sorry, guess you aren't in a joking mood?"

"Kinda." Carter looked around him. "So…I'm in Heaven, right?"

"Not exactly." Eden said. "This is an in-between world, between life and death. A rest stop, would be the best word for it."

"ooookay." Carter managed to say. "Then why I am I here?"

Eden licked her lips. "To train."

"Train?" Carter questioned.

Isaac was the one to answer him. "We're going to teach you how to access your powers in full, how to use them completely."

"Thought I already did that." Carter said, confused. "Hold up my hand, said an emotion, and fire off the whammy."

Charlie shook her head. "No, Carter. Not even close." She chuckled softly. "Do you realize that only 1 of the people on the world that have been able to access their powers fully? Most just do one thing with it and stick with that. But those that can tap into their powers fully…they can do great things. Like Hiro Nakamura…like Sylar."

"Sylar does great things?" Carter questioned.

"Terrible things, yes…but great, none the less." Zane said.

Carter frowned. "Now your quoting Harry Potter…Eden, is there a point to this?"

Eden sighed, motioning for the others to let her talk. "Yes. Your power is not to control emotions, Carter." She began to pace. "You and I have very similar powers. I gave a command, and people had to obey me…a form of hypnosis. You, however, can go one step better. You can alter the chemical makeup of the brain. The 'whammy energy' as you call it, is designed to cause certain chemicals, which control how the brain works, to increase of decrease. The only reason it comes out in silver flames is because your mother can control fire, and it is a residual effect…just like you can automatically rewire your brain to speed up the signals to heal your body…another residual effect.

"With training…you could learn how to do so much more…learn to sculpt the brain as if it were clay, and do it on a scope that deals in global numbers." She paused. "But that isn't the only training you are to receive."

"What do you mean? Why am I receiving training when I'm dead?"

Eden ignored his last question. "I am going to use the training I received under Noah Bennet to teach you how to defend yourself. You are going to learn self defense, how to fight like a warrior, how to kill in utter silence. I am going to help you hone your body and mind into the perfect weapon…"

Carter snapped. "Little that does me, now that I am dead!" He roared, eyes flashing. "Dead dead dead dead dead…do you follow me?"

Eden merely smiled. "Little brother…open your mind up a little bit." Carter glared at her. "You aren't dead…well, for a little while."

"…what?"

"We are sending you back." Eden said. "Your work is not yet finished."

"My work?" Carter asked incredulously. "What work? I did the hero bit, I saved the mint…I died the freakin' heroic death!" He laughed bitterly as he marched away, assuming this was some joke. In his mind, people stayed dead, period.

"You think you get to choose?" Eden asked, mouth opened wide. "It doesn't work that way, little brother! You have a destiny to fulfill, and it begins with you going back!"

Carter shook his head. "What could there possibly be left for me to do?"

"You want to know?" Eden snapped, waving her hand. The world around them shimmered, and they found themselves in a small room. Carter turned quickly around, taking in the concrete cell in confusion. Finally, his eyes came to rest of a little girl, laying in bed, sobbing as she hugged her teddy bear. "She is what is left."

"And just who is 'she'?"

Eden took a deep breath. "The man I worked for…the big boss of them all, he believed in speeding evolution along. He worked to get people with powers together, knowing their children would be even stronger. But for two, he couldn't get them together…and he couldn't wait for them both to reach maturity. So…he arranged for the female to go in for surgery, thinking her appendix burst. But instead, he had his doctors remove a few of her eggs."

Carter looked down at the girl in the bed, his stomach curdling. "Don't say it."

"It was easy for your mother to get a sample of your genetic material. You were a teenager, it isn't that tough."

"Don't say it." Carter whispered.

"The female's mother, she wanted another child, but was having problems, so she went to a fertility doctor. It was easy for Linderman to switch the samples…"

"No…" Carter stammered.

"…and 9 months later, she was born." Eden managed a smile. "Congrats…you're a daddy."

Carter Daniels stared at the little girl, keen eyes picking up the facts. His eyes, his lips…all on the little girl's body.

"no…no…" he whispered, body shaking as he cried. He mourned not the fact he had a daughter, or even the fact that these people had practically raped him.

No, Carter cried out for his baby girl, who had never known him. He cried for the fact he hadn't been there, to watch her be born, to see her first steps, her first words. He cried for all they had stolen from him.

"They've taken her, Carter. The people I work for. They are going to try and use her…make her into their tool. They'll rob her of her childhood, make her into a living machine." Carter reached out, his hand passing through the girl's body. "Your body…is right now being shipped to this building. You're the only one that can save her, Carter. The only one that can protect her."

"W-what's her name." Carter asked, turning wet eyes to his sister. "What's my daughter's name?"

"Valencia." Eden said. "Though she doesn't know it yet, she is the daughter of Madrid Alverez."

"Madrid…" Carter managed to laugh weakly. "I have a love child with an actress."

"More like a test-tube baby." Eden quipped. Carter glared at her, and she grew serious. "She is important, Carter…one of the most important people in the world. In the right hands, she can unite those like us together, to change the world. In the wrong…"

"Send me back." Carter snapped, standing up.

"Already switching your…"

"SEND ME BACK!" Carter roared, arms exploding into in silver fire. "I don't need the training! Send me back now!"

"It doesn't work like that. You need time…"

"I don't have the time, she doesn't have the time…"

Eden shook her head. "Time flows slower her. A year here will be only a day. She can survive that…and your body will not be there until then." Eden walked towards Carter, laying her hand on his shoulder. "There are others that will hunt her down. As Carter, you won't be strong enough to stop them. But let us train you, and you will become someone who can."

"Who will I become." Carter whispered, still staring at Vally.

"You will be our champion, our warrior…the last scion of the house of Ellis…the Voice of God…"

&&&

_Or, is the end not the end at all? Is it a new beginning, a time of change? What seems like the end for a newborn, a loss of its entire world, is merely the beginning of its new life. Is that all the end is…the beginning of the new life?"_

_-Mohinder Suresh_

_&&&_

"You…will be the Metatron."

Carter licked his lips, smiling slightly. "Metatron…I like it." He swallowed, ghosting his hand close to Vally's cheek. It broke his heart to leave, but he knew that, if he wanted to be the father she needed, he would have to train to become it. "Hold on princess…daddy is coming. And he is going to save you." His eyes glowed. "And God help whoever gets in my way."

Eden nodded, and the world began to glow white. "Come along Carter…you have so very much to learn…and so very little time to do it."

And with that, they were gone.

End of Volume One

Volume Two

"With news of the explosion over New York City, the world wonders just what is going to happen." The anchorman said. He stared into the camera as he spoke. "First, the reports of a mysterious pillar of light…and now, the light over New York…many are left to wonder just what is happening."

On the screen, the fuzzy image of a woman riding on a wave of water appeared. "Add to that the sightings of people doing the impossible…" The image shifted a man in a suit apparently flying filled the screen. "…has left people to wonder…"

Had one been able to see under his desk, they'd saw the man adjusted the black gloves he wore. Underneath said gloves, one would have seen something startling: The man's skin turn to diamond.

"…what will we see next." The old man gave a slight smile as the NBC Nightly News music played. "Filling in for Brian Williams, I am Anthony Delpine…goodnight."

To be continued…

&&&

Just because Elsewhere is over for this season, that doesn't mean there isn't more to see.

Snapshots from Elsewhere will continue, as you will meet 5 of the new heroes and villains that will play a key role in volume two.

And this fall…Elsewhere return. Questions will be answered, alliances made, new evil will arise, families will reunite, and the ancestors of the heroes of Elsewhere will be revealed.

But before it all…

(We see Vally cowering in a corner as a man moves to strike her. She opens her eyes to find the man's hand has been restrained…)

The moment you will wait all summer to see

Carter: Get away from my daughter you son of a….

(The man screams)

Elsewhere: Volume 2

&&&

Author's Note: Please review. You never know when I will drop spoilers…

I want to thank you all for reading. 23 chapter…almost ¾ of a year in my life…I hope you enjoyed taking this ride with me into the world of Elsewhere…and that you will join me to continue the trip.

I thank all my regulars fan reviewing. I thank Tim Krieg and the writers and producers and actors and all the rest of the crew of HEROES for producing such a wonderful show, and not suing me so I could write my own chapter in their universe. I thank my family for putting up with me, and most of all, I thank God for letting me do what I love.

We all have a destiny…and we all can be heroes.

Thank you for reading.

-Mr. Chaos


	24. Yet Another Day

Volume Two

"For the rest of us, what they must live through, what they must experience, are the things of legend and fantasy. The powers they wield, the dangers they face…how can comprehend them. How can understand? What have we ever given up, sacrificed, for the greater good? Could we do what they do? Could we rise each day, fight for the freedom of those that will never know of our deeds?

Luckily for us…we never have to answer such questions. For what is the extraordinary for us…is for them…yet another day."

-Mohinder Suresh

&&&

"With news of the explosion over New York City, the world wonders just what is going to happen." The anchorman said. He stared into the camera as he spoke. "First, the reports of a mysterious pillar of light…and now, the light over New York…many are left to wonder just what is happening."

On the screen, the fuzzy image of a woman riding on a wave of water appeared. "Add to that the sightings of people doing the impossible…" The image shifted a man in a suit apparently flying filled the screen. "…has left people to wonder…"

Had one been able to see under his desk, they'd saw the man adjusted the black gloves he wore. Underneath said gloves, one would have seen something startling: The man's skin turn to diamond.

"…what will we see next?" The old man gave a slight smile as the NBC Nightly News music played. "Filling in for Brian Williams, I am Anthony Delpine…goodnight."

&&&

Terrence Harper looked over the report. "And you couldn't arrive in time to get the rest of them?"

"I was busy dealing with Lee Malion…my son's friends were the least of my concern."

(Helena Daniels, Terrence Harper and Marshal- CLASSIFIED- 4 hours after The New York Incident (NYI), One day after the Philly Incident)

Terrence frowned. "And yet, from what I have read, Mr. Linderman wanted Carter Daniels and his friends put as top priority."

"Mr. Linderman is dead, so I don't think his judgment was all that wise." Marshal snapped.

Linderman's former bodyguard chuckled. "Well, I say Daniels was a top priority."

"And you've made yourself rather cozy as the new head of the organization." Helena snapped.

Terrence shrugged. "Thompson is dead, Linderman is dead, Noah Bennet has gone rogue. And you don't have the confidence of the senior members…"

"I could care less about what Mrs. Petrelli or those like her think of me. We've seen how well they manage their families."

Terrence turned his head towards were the tech boys were moving Lee's unconscious form into a cell. Past them, the broken form of Carter Daniels lay on a rolling morgue table, ready to be taken for discestion. "Yes…and we've seen just how well you manage your own family…"

Marshal was on him in a second, claws extending as he grabbed Terrence by the throat. The other super was ready, preparing to cut off all electrical signals, when Helena pointed her gun at him.

"You aren't all powerful, Terrence. And you don't have Linderman's healing factor." She lowered her weapon, and Marshal threw him down. "I might not have Petrelli's vote, but there are other members who do trust me…who have not lapped at the hand of Linderman. You try and come after me, try and treat me like one of your grunts…and you will be in one of these cells before you can even get off a shot. I'll take control of this whole organization, just to spite you, if I have to." Helena turned on her heel and marched away from Terrence.

The electrical manipulator rubbed his raw throat. "Keep telling yourself that you're in control." He muttered. "Will make it sweeter when I finally bury you."

&&&

"This is what you drove here in?"

"What did you expect?"

"its…it's a goober-mobile."

Noah Bennet frowned. "Its…not that bad."

"Yea dad…" Claire Bennet said. "…it is."

(Claire and Noah Bennet-New York, NY)

Claire's father shrugged. "It will get us there just fine. And besides…it will be so much better with the company I have now then I did coming here."

"That bad?" Claire asked.

"Parkman and Sprague arguing over the radio? Yes Claire, even your taste in fluffy pop music will be better then that."

"What's wrong my music?" Claire exclaimed.

Bennet rolled his eyes. "What isn't…" He unlocked the door and slid into the driver's seat. "Come on Claire, you can yell at me while we're on the freeway." As Claire sat down in the passenger seat with a huff, Bennet turned the ignition and slipped the car into drive. "Well…lets go." He said, ready to begin the long journey.

RINGALINGLING! RINGALINGLING! RINGALINGLING!

A journey that lasted all of two seconds.

Bennet sighed, grabbing his cellphone from his jacket pocket. He looked at the number, confused by the number he had never seen before.

"What are you doing?" Claire hissed. "Don't answer it…what if it's the people you work for."

"No the people I_ worked _for…" Bennet stressed the past-tense, "…who I worked _with_. Only a handful of people know this number…and I trust them with my life."

"My life I'm worried about." Claire muttered as her father answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Noah Bennet." A man asked. "Is Claire with you."

"Who is this?"

"Someone that needs to speak with both of you."

"I'm hanging up…"

"Does the name Carter Daniels mean anything to you?" Bennet froze, eyes widening. "From your silence, I would say yes. Please put the phone of speaker, Mr. Bennet." The voice waited, and Bennet finally clicked the phone onto speaker. "Claire, can you hear me?"

"Yea…who are you?"

"My name is Hank Delpine. I'm here with Linda Fray and Kelly Raegan. Girls?" Kelly and Linda both said hello. "I assume you are wondering who gave us this number."

"Not really. Carter's name gave me the answer…you've talked to Helena?"

"Yes." Hank said. "We have."

"Who's Helena…who are these people?" Claire hissed.

"I will explain when we meet." Hank answered.

Bennet frowned. "What do you mean, 'meet'?"

"In New York…we are on our way there, Mr. Bennet, and we have much to discuss." Hank's tone brokered no argument.

"No…we are leaving right now. We don't have time…"

"Listen." Kelly said sternly. "We got a woman here that can control water. You're on a freaking island. Do the math."

"Kelly!" Linda snapped. "I would never do that…and I don't like the idea of the guy that hunts people like us knowing my power."

"People like you." Kelly muttered. "I don't buy into Mrs. Daniels' claim that me and Hank are like you."

"But the idea that I have powers…that Carter hav…had powers…that isn't strange?"

"Had?" Bennet asked. "Why…why past tense?"

Hank sighed. "That's the reason we need to see you and Claire…" Hank's voice grew softer. "I wish…" He paused. "Carter Daniels is dead."

Bennet's hand trembled and Claire looked at her father and the phone. "Sylar?" She questioned, echoing her father's silent fear.

"No." Hank said. "No…I…I will tell you everything, if you will just meet with us…please…" He swallowed. "I promised Carter I would protect his girls…and that includes you, Claire."

"Why me?" Claire asked.

"You didn't tell her, Bennet?" Kelly snapped in outrage. "You didn't tell her of her brother?"

"WHAT?!?"

&&&

(Galatea- CLASSIFIED)

The winds whipped around her, biting at her skin and howling in her ears. Still, Galatea grinned, enjoying the freeing sensation she felt. Hair swirling behind her, the fluffy down jacket she had stolen billow in the breeze; Galatea was walking on air.

Or, more correctly, she was leaping through it.

Slamming down to the ground, Galatea pulled herself up to her full high, peering just over the massive crater she had created. Like a goddess descended from Olympus, she took in the world with a critical eye.

"He in there?"

Galatea looked down at the golden cross, nodding to her reflection. "Yes…Lee is in there." She paused, glancing up and the mysterious building that stood just several hundred yards from her. It was surrounded by a high concrete fence, watchtowers, spotlights, and armed men. "Guards all around…got any ideas?"

"Yea." Jessica said. "Tear them apart."

Galatea grinned. "I like your style."

&&&

"I said get it!"

"NO!"

"Get up!"

"NO!"

"Get up!"

"NO!"

The guard snarled as he grabbed Vally by the arm, dragging her from the bed. Vally struggled, kicking her little legs as hard as she could at the man's shins. Grunting in pain, the guard managed to get her onto the floor, jerking painfully on her forearm and lifting her into the air.

"Let me make something clear, you little freak…" He snarled, shaking the toddler hard. "They need you alive. Pretty soon, you are going to be working for them, and they made it clear that you need to be functioning." Vally screamed in pain as the man let her drop, her body falling to the hard concrete with a thud. She began to sob as the man circled her, his anger getting the better of her. "But that doesn't mean you need to be healthy…or happy." He grabbed Vally bear and ripped its arm off.

"NO!" Vally wailed as the man pulled out stuffing from the teddy bear. "Special bear!"

"Ain't so special, is it?!" The guard roared. "Bruised my shin, I rip your bear apart." He threw the torn apart bear at Vally. "Get up."

"S-s-s-special bear…" Vally sobbed, cradling the ruined toy.

The guard rolled his eyes, taking the billy club from his "You need to figure out that your sister can't save you, your friends can't save you, and the stupid bear can't save you!" He aimed it at Vally, swinging with all his might. Vally looked up, eyes froze in fear, the special bear cradled in her arms. But when the blow never came. Vally stared at the sight of another man, dressed in a long black coat, chest bare and rippling with muscles, holding the guard's wrist in place. The other man's face was twisted in rage, the guard's arm turning white from the bone crush gripe.

"But her father can."

And with that, Carter Daniels snapped the man's neck.

&&&

Author's Note: And now, questions to the author. If you have a question you'd like here, instead of just getting the response through PM, please state that in your review. I will select the best questions for this segment.

1. Heroes is excellent at throwing twists and turns in the plot. What

makes a

good twist? How difficult is it to make a 'good' turn to make the

readers

totally rethink what they saw?

A good plot twist is something that, after the audience sees it, they go back and wonder how they missed it, OR is a startling snippet that they know will pay off in the next chapter.

Personally, I prefer the first kind. There are several major twists in Elsewhere, like Vally being Carter's daughter, Linda being a super, or Helena being an agent, that when you reread the story, you see hints of. And already, there are some very large plot twists started in the first volume that I haven't gotten to yet.

Many times, plot twists work best when you yourself stumble onto them. For example, Vally wasn't Carter's daughter in my mind until I wrote "How to Stop an Exploding Man". Originally, Carter just adopted her. But as I wrote the story, I suddenly realized that there were hints I had setup without knowing it, like Vally's eye color change (both her and Carter's eyes glow now when they use their powers).

And if you do, infact, decide to stage a plot twist, you have to drop the smallest of hints, so not to expose your hand. An example is Linda…in the first chapter, she talks about ripples in a pond. That was a hint.

2. Characters like Matt Parkman and Noah Bennett are essentially good

guys.

But both have made questionable decisions that could have altered their

character drastically. Somehow the writers still managed to portray

them as

good guys to the audience. Have any Characters in Elsewhere morally put

to the

test and still a 'good' person? and if so, Is it easy to do that?

At this moment, no. Volume One had defined lines: Good guys, bad guys. Even Helena you knew was a good person, as we never saw her actually hurt a hero. The closest is Madrid making fake money.

Season two will really get into that though, as the lines between villain and hero blur. A war is coming…and there is no black and white in war.

3. Heroes is back! Excited?

Damn straight. Excluding the show, I am excited that Elsewhere is back!


	25. A Sound of Thunder

Let it never be said that resurrection was painless.

Carter had awakened in a morgue with a scream, piercing the silent metal room with the cry. Lungs that had shut down burned as air filled them. A throat that had been stilled felt like sandpaper was being rubbed against it as he screamed. Eyes that had dried out let loose bloody tears. Nerves that had inactive suddenly fired on all cylinders, letting the young man know all the pain at once.

A lesser person would have succumbed to the experience, gone mad from it. But Carter Daniels was no mere man. He had not spent a year in the Afterlife training with Eden, just to give up at this moment.

Instead he had silenced the scream, forced himself to his feet, and took stock. He knew he was in the same building as his daughter…he and Eden had gone over the floor plan for months. He knew Madrid's cell was about 100 yards away, down some corridors. He had to get them out, get them hidden…protect his daughter and her sister/mother.

But first…he needed some clothes.

Luck had been on his side. The morgue attendant had left his clothing in a bin, probably to be thrown away. The shirt was ruined, but the pants would do, as would his duster. He stuffed his shirt in his pocket anyway.

Practicing the stealth he had been taught by Eden, Carter had made his way into his daughter's room just as the son-of-a-bitch guard had ripped the 'special bear' apart and was about ready to beat Vally. Carter had seen red, and the combat skills that had been engrained in his memory came to the forefront, allowing him to stop the guard and snap his neck.

Now, however, he had a sobbing toddler to deal with.

"Hey." Carter said softly, unsure what to do. Considering he had just murdered someone in front of her, he wasn't sure the protocol when it came to father/daughter meetings. "My name is C-C-C-Carter. You're Vally, r-r-r-right?" Vally nodded slightly. "Haven't stuttered in a month…must be the nerves…" Vally just looked on. Carter knelt down next to her, locking eyes and trying to think of what to say. "I'm…sorry about not being there for you…" Vally said nothing. "And your bear…sorry about the bear…but I can fix it…" He gathered the bits of stuffing and held them out. "My mom taught me to sew…I can make him better then new…touch him up even and make him better then when you got him…" He looked down at the bear's tummy, at the strange S symbol on the bear's stomach. "That's my mark…" He turned so Vally could see the back of his jacket. "See…it is a symbol for the House of Ellis…my family's symbol. Makes sense you would have it, me being your…well…" He shrugged.

Valencia looked at him, licking her lips. "Daddy?" She whispered, hope coloring her words.

Carter's eyes blinked away tears. "Yea…."

The little girl leapt into his arms, and father and daughter cried as they met for the first time.

&&&

(Lee Malion, Location Unknown)

Lee stared at the wall in disgust, shaking his arms back and forth as best he could. Which, infact, was hardly at all. The damn bitch that had taken him here had done her homework, tying him up in metals bands so he couldn't move…could draw anything. At best, he could make slight imprints on the padded floor, which didn't lend itself to drawing anyway.

He went over and over in his head exactly how this had all gone so wrong. The beginning had been fine…making Galatea, experimenting. But he was willing to admit that he might have gone overboard with the bank robbery. And yea, the mint thing had been stupid. Not because it was somehow wrong or anything like that. Mainly because Lee hadn't thought things through.

Next time though…

Thoughts were interrupted when the sounds of screams echoed from behind the cell door. Lee perked up, listening carefully as cries of pain pierced the air, causing him to shiver. A boom silenced the screams, leaving only a dreaded stillness to the area…which was cut short when the cell door was ripped from its hinges.

Lee's eyes nearly popped out of his head as he took in Galatea. Dressed in a heavy coat, jeans and combat boots, she was a strange and welcomed sight.

"Thank god." Lee said with a grin, watching as Galatea approached him. "About time you got here…now, get these stupid restraints off me…"

His words turned to gurgled when Galatea's hand wrapped around his throat.

"I want to make some things very clear." The woman said in a voice that screamed, "I'm-not-Galatea!". Infact, had a young boy named Micah been there, he would have informed Lee just how different this person was from Galatea. "I don't like you. You are like every man I have ever dealt with. You destroy everything you touch, make pretty things into broken shells. If I crushed your windpipe, I would be doing all of womankind a favor…" She let her hand relax after a moment. "But luckily for you, my little sister has a crush on you, so I only get to boss you around." Her hand snaked back towards him, grabbing his chin and forcing him to look at her. "I am in charge. You do what I say, and I won't have to break anything…got it?"

"Got it." Lee squeaked, Jessica throwing him aside, ripping off the restraints as he fell. She tapped her foot, waiting for him to hurry up and get up. He finally stood, rubbing his sore wrists, looking at her nervously. He wasn't in the mood to make her mad. Nodding, Jessica marched out of the door, throwing a clipboard at Lee, not turning back to see if he caught it. "Come on, we have work to do."

"Work?" Lee murmured. Jessica didn't say a word, marching towards a set of cells.

He did not like this new arrangement at all.

&&&

"They certainly have a strange choice in meeting places."

Claire crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm not talking to you."

(Claire and Noah Bennet- FEO Swartz Toy Store)

Mr. Bennet frowned. "Come on Claire…if you won't talk to me…" He picked up a strange, yellow stuffed animal, waving it at her. "…will you talk to Pikablu?"

Claire's eyes slide murderously towards her father. "First off, despite what you might think, I am not 5. Second," she snatched the plushie from her father's hands, shaking it in his face, "this is Pika_chu_. If you are going be condescending, get the name right." She tossed the doll over her shoulder, before flipping her head away from him, hair smacking him in the face.

Bennet sighed. Every since Kelly had spilled the beans about Carter and Claire's connection, Noah had been unable to get her to talk to him without a snide comment. She had demanded that her father spill all the intel about her brother, and would not take no for an answer. So he had told the entire story: how Claire's mother had been raped when she was a teenager by a man named Ellis, the baby given up for adoption. 7 years later, Carter had been beaten by the head of the orphanage, resulting in his associate, Helena Daniels, removing him and taking him home. Now Carter Daniels, he had led an uninteresting life…until his powers had suddenly flared up, causing him to attack 3 men. The Company had decided to bring Carter in, for his own good…

'She took that news well.' Bennet thought with a groan, remembering the 5 minute screaming tantrum Claire had thrown over the idea that her brother had been turned over to the company. Claire had grown quiet when her father had informed her that Carter had managed to escape, along with his news editor, professor, and apparent mortal enemy.

The same three people they were waiting for.

"Pikachu?" Kelly asked with a smirk, catching the doll Claire had thrown. "Always was partial to Bulbasaur."

"What about Squirtle?" Linda asked.

Hank shook his head. "Big shock, the water controller likes Squirtle."

Claire managed a smile, holding out her hand. "Claire Bennet."

Hank took her offered hand, shaking it. "Hank Delpine. This is Kelly Raegan and Linda Frey." He couldn't help but grin as he looked at Claire. "You look so much like Carter…" he shook his head, jawing working slowly. "I wish he were here…he wanted to meet you so bad."

Claire nodded. "I…I wish I could have met him too."

Mr. Bennet cleared his throat. "This is all well and good…but I am assuming you called us for reasons other then shaking hands?"

Kelly frowned. "Who shoved the stick up your ass?" Bennet looked down at the short 22 year old, Kelly not back down. "I am a black woman from Flint…you really think you can scare me, white boy?"

"Ok, race relations aside…" Linda said, deciding to act as the only adult in the room. "…we have a lot to talk about." She motioned towards the exit. "We have a hotel room…we only ask for a few hours. Please…"

Mr. Bennet looked at the teacher before relenting. "Lead the way."

&&&

"Readthe guest list." Jessica said, grabbing one of the cell doors and ripping it from its hinges.

Lee glared at her, but did as he was told. "Sergei Aradiky. Russian American, lawyer. Taken in about 6 months ago…apparently his blood can harden when it hits the air, creating a nearly indestructible polymer."

Jessica gave the dark haired Russian a once over. He was good looking, in a rough sort of way, but good looks would not help them escape. "We're only taking people that can help us. And hard blood…"

Sergei raised his hands, finally free from the restraints the Company had put him in, and clenched them into fists. Three shallow cuts on each hand split open, firing off a total of 6 steel hard blood barbs.

"Does that answer your question?" He said stiltedly, rubbing his wrists.

"…Lee, the next cell?" Jessica said, leaving Sergei to watch on, slightly amused.

"Right…Tina Linderman…"

Jessica snarled. "Linderman." Before either man could react, Jessica tore through the door like paper, grabbing the dark haired woman that sat in her cell, ripping away the restraints that held her in place and slamming her into a wall. "I am so sick of the Lindermans."

"Welcome…to the club…" Tina gasped, hands going to Jessica's wrist. Tina's attacker was about to comment on how such actions could not save her, when Jessica felt the skin on her wrist begin to melt away. Screaming, she dropped Tina, who held out her palms, acid dripping from them.

"…her sweat is actually a highly dangerous corrosive that can eat through anything."

Tina nodded. "So next time you decide to jump to conclusions, don't." She growled in disgust, eyes locking on Jessica. "Now…let me guess…my dear ol' dad did something to you…used you, abused you, took everything you loved away?"

Jessica frowned. "Yes."

Sergei leaned towards Lee. "What are they talking about?"

"No clue, considering we never met a Linderman…but then again, I don't think that is my Galatea."

Tina continued on with her rant. "well guess what…my father's a jackass. He knocked up my mom, left her, never came to see me until a few months ago. And even then, the only reason he contacted me was because he wanted me to use my doctorine in child psychiatry to help him kidnap 2 kids and use them for his own twisted goals. When I tried to escape, I get locked up in this stupid place…" She wrinkled her nose. "Someone needs to punch a hole through his head…"

Jessica began to laugh at that. "Consider your wish granted…he's dead."

Tina stared at her for a moment, before letting out a sigh of relieve. "Good…real good…I'll want all the details when we get out of here. Gummi Bears and chocolate would be good props to go along with it."

Jessica snorted, before turning towards Lee. "These two will do. Lets go." She only got two steps when she noticed that Tina wasn't following her. "You want to hurry up? We have guards on their way."

But Tina shook her head. "Got to help a friend first…" She touched her hand to the celldoor, melting through the lock. Once it was reduced to goo, Tina shoved the door open, grinning as she finally came face to face with the woman she had spent the last night talking to through the air ducts. "Madrid Alverez, I presume?"

Madrid nodded, standing up quickly and grabbing Tina in a hug. "Thanks."

"Like I'd leave my new gal pal behind." She looked behind Madrid, grinning. "mmm, I like your ass." Madrid quickly let Tina go, the other woman laughing. "Come on, lets go."

Jessica frowned as Madrid and Tina began heading off. "The exit is this way."

"And my sister is this way." Madrid countered over her shoulder, turning a corner…

…and running smack into a guard.

"What the…" The guard stammered, startled by the girls' appearance.

Tina turned back towards Jessica. "We're going to have company!" She turned around, ready to slug the guard that was raising his gun at Madrid, but checked her punch when the man fell to his knees, clutching his head, screaming in agony. Behind him, Madrid and Tina stared at the newcomer, his hand held up and silver energy dancing around his fingers. Cradled in his left arm a little girl looked at them, a grin spreading on her face.

"MADDY!"

Madrid's body trembled. "Vally…" The young woman whispered in awe. "VALLY!" She cried out in happiness, then she over the guard, hurrying to Valencia and snatching her from the stranger's arms. "God Vally…how did you…"

Vally nuzzled her shoulder. "He saved me!" The little girl said. "He said mama and daddy sent him to save us…he's the Megatron."

"Metatron." He corrected.

Madrid locked eyes with stranger, still clutching her little sister to her. "Thank you, Metatron." She whispered.

Jessica, Lee and Sergei finally came to see what was going on, and when Jessica saw Carter, she instantly reverted back to Galatea. "Carter?"

"Galatea?" Carter slowly looked at the man beside her. "Let me guess…Lee?"

"Y-yea?" Lee asked, unsure what was going on.

"Nice to finally meet the man that killed me." Carter said, shoving Madrid and Vally behind him, hands glowing. Galatea instantly reverted to Jessica, ready to protect her other half's pet, while Sergei aimed his barbs at the newcomer's throat, ready to protect the two that had freed him. Tina was at Carter's side, acid dripping from her fingers, deciding to stand with the man, this Metatron, that had saved her new friend's sister.

No one said a word, staring each other.

A Mexican Standoff.

&&&

"…clones of the founding fathers?" Claire asked as they emerged from the toy store.

"I kid you not." Kelly said. "Carter took them all out though…"

"…and that's what killed him…his powers going out of control."

Hank nodded. "A sacrifice to an uncaring God." He muttered more to himself.

Claire ignored the comment, not wanting to get into a debate, and instead focused on Linda and Kelly. "So, tell me more about this mysterious smoke guy…"

&&&

"Ready BeeBee?"

"Ready Riker."

The man and woman nodded, hiding out of sight in the rented apartment, sniper scopes locking onto Claire's head as she left the toy store.

"Boom, ya rich &." BeeBee, pulling the trigger.

&&&

1. How do Carter's powers work? He shoots 'whammies' towards the person

he wants to manipulate, but Eden and Claire do not when she uses her

powers. Why is that?

There are two answers: The original answer, and the new, story answer.

The original reason he had whammies was to give the audience something visible to imagine. It is hard to imagine a distorted voice, but glowing hands? Also, Carter came first with powers, so you could ask, why doesn't Eden have energy?

The current reason, the story reason, ties in with his family. Carter was the last scion of the Gordon and Ellis line. The Ellis line is famous for manipulators. Carter's mother was a fire starter. As such, Carter's whammies are a reflection of his mother's genetics controlling his power.

Vally, the current last scion of the house of Ellis and Gordon, has glowing eyes like Carter sometimes has (the eyes come from Isaiah, who had the power of perfect telescopic vision. The glowing eyes mark Carter as the Heir of Isaiah. Interestingly…Linda Frey's eyes glow too…meaning that she is also somehow connected to Isaiah), and will one day have pink flames when activating her power.

2. If one of your characters could be chosen to be on Heroes: Origins,

who would it be and why? How would you condense his or her story to fit in an hour episode?

Carter would be the pick. It would start with Carter meeting Hank, attacking him with his powers. Next section would be Carter lamenting his powers, only to end up meeting with the company. The next would have Carter's escape, and meeting with Seth. The final 15 minutes would have Seth explaining Carter's family history, handing him a file. The last shot would be Carter and Kelly driving to California, the file open to reveal that Carter is Claire's brother.

3. Do you have a set date for when you plan to end Elsewhere, or do you

plan to keep it going as long as the series does?

Right now, even if the show is canceled, I know there will be a season 3 of Elsewhere. I could end it there, but I also have lots of ideas. New Eden still needs to be made.


	26. The Ties That Bind

"What do you mean, I killed you?"

Carter frowned. "A mob of Founding Fathers, a mint, and me blowing up like a firecracker…that ring any bells?"

Lee nodded. "Except the you-as-firecracker bit."

(Carter, Madrid, Valencia, Tina, Sergei, Lee and Galatea/Jessica- Location Unknown)

"If you died…" Madrid began, trying to peak over Carter's shoulder.

"I got better." Carter replied.

Sergei kept his hand up, barbs just beginning to stick out. "What did you do to that guard?"

The young man clenched and unclenched his fist. "Just took him out…how about you guys…how'd ya get out of your cells?"

Jessica cracked her knuckles. "Picked the lock."

"Oh, for the love of God…" Tina muttered, stepping between the two groups. "Now is not the time to be bashful." She pointed at Jessica. "Super strength." She turned on Madrid. "Matter Duplication." She glared at Lee and Sergei. "You two?"

"…inanimate animation." Lee finally admitted.

"Quick hardening blood and projectile firing."

Tina let a few drops of acid hit the floor. "Acid production. You Mr. Daniels here…" She waved a hand at Carter, "…can manipulate emotions."

"Not exactly." Carter said, never letting down his guard. When Tina stared at him, Carter stared right back. "I've learned to master my powers…while I was getting over my bad case of sudden-deadness." His fingers crackled with energy. "I can control the balance of chemicals in the brain. I can make people feel emotions, see things that aren't there, make them braindead, or correct imbalances."

"Why weren't you in a cell?" Madrid asked.

"I told you, I was dead. Woke up in the morgue."

Jessica pointed at Vally, who was peaking over Carter's shoulder, watching everything with interest. "What about the baby? What's her power?"

"I'm not a baby!" Vally shouted. "I'm 3 and 10 months!"

Madrid stroked her hair. "That you are, sweetie." She turned back to Jessica. "She, apparently, can feel when people with powers are nearby. That's how we escaped capture the first time." To demonstrate the point, Vally's eyes went pink, her little tongue sticking out as she looked at each of them.

"Wait a minute…" Lee said, it finally dawning on him who Carter was, "you're the reason I'm here!" He moved to tackle the younger man, Jessica holding him back.

"How? Because you killed me, someone brought you here?" Carter challenged.

"No, because your grief-ridden mama beat the crap out of me and put me in here! Her and her kitty-cat, the one that took my Galatea from me and replaced her with…" Lee's words were cut off by Jessica's hand on his throat.

"What? Bitch?" She challenged.

"Maddy…" Vally hissed, little hands tugging on her sisters. "Maddy…"

"Not now Vally…" Madrid said sternly, still trying to wrap her mind around what was going on.

"But Maddy…"

Carter turned to his daughter. "What is it, princess…" He noticed her eyes flare pink. "…you sense something."

"8…" Vally whispered. She began to point at each of them. "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,7…." She pointed behind her. "8."

Everyone looked to where she was pointing…just as the alarms went off.

"9…10…uh…what comes af-ter 10?" Vally asked.

Carter whipped back towards Jessica, eyes wide. "You want to avoid ending up on a dissection table?"

"As much as I imagine you want to stay out of the morgue." She held out her hand. "Truce?"

"Truce." Carter agreed, grabbing her hand in a quick shake before turning back to where Vally was pointing. "Lead the way. Acid girl, help her out. Russian, prove cover fire for them. Lee…" He glared at the artist. "Protect the girls."

Lee was ready to argue, but one look from Jessica shut his mouth. "What about you?"

Carter held up a fist, igniting it with whammy energy. "I'm gonna spread the word…and that word is panic!" He fired off a blast down the hall, some guards crying out as they were hit. Jessica gave the call, and the group was running.

The chase was on.

&

"CLAIRE!"

Noah Bennet would look back at this moment and wonder just how some many things could happen within such a short time.

A gunshot thundered through the streets.

People cried out in terror.

Claire went down, forehead exploding forth brainmatter and blood.

Hank and Kelly lifted their guns, trying to find the shooter.

Linda's glanced at a fire hydrant, causing it to explode, a wave of water blasting in front of them, making a white wall.

"Back inside!" Linda shouted, hands waving about as she sent the water circling around them. "Out the back!" Bennet stared at Claire's destroyed face, his knees wobbling slightly. "Hank!"

The young man nodded, stooping down and heaving Claire's body up. Kelly snarled at the water wall before grabbing Bennet by the arm and forcing him inside the toy store, Linda on their heels.

"We need to get out of here, now." Linda said. "Straight back…"

"No…" Kelly said. "To the right, near the bathrooms. The other door needs a key…that one will be open." The others stared at her. "Trust me."

"Don't have a power my ass." Linda muttered. "Come on!" Hank nodded, storming through the panicked crowd, shoving his way past them, mind screaming at him to go faster.

He'd failed.

Again.

Noah Bennet seemed to snap out of his shock as Kelly dragged him towards the back, head darting around in desperation. "Wait!" He pulled himself free of the 22 year-old's grasp and forced Hank to follow him into a breakroom. "Kelly, Hank; stand guard. Linda, I'll need your help." He took Claire's body and laid it down on the breakroom table. "I need a knife."

"What the hell are you doing?" Kelly demanded, keeping her sawed off shotgun ready.

"Claire can heal herself even if she has been dead for hours. The reason she isn't healing now is the bullet is still in her brain. I remove it, she heals herself." He frowned, looking for a knife of some kind. "Damn it…" He glanced at Linda. "You have to do it."

"What?!" Linda shouted.

"You control water. The human body is made of 75 water, and that includes the brain." He pointed to a section of what had been Claire's face. "Bullet went in here…focus on pushing the water out of there. Slowly…so you don't do more harm then good."

The professor nodded slightly, moving towards the teenager's body, hand shaking as she raised it. A horrific squishy sound was heard, then…slowly…the bullet began to worm its way out of her skull.

It took only a minute for Claire to sit up, cough up blood.

"Holy shit." Hank whispered.

Kelly nodded. "Took the words out of my mouth, Jesus boy. Listen, as much fun as this is, I suggest we get the hell out of here…"

Claire nodded. "Yea…'cause I don't want to do that, like, ever again."

"That's too bad…"

The group turned as one, staring in dawning horror as Biddy Bargo, aka BeeBee, and Lionel Riker entered the room, guns drawn.

"Because we're just going to keep doing it till we get it right."

&

"What the hell is going on?" Helena shouted, the monitoring room's main door slamming into the wall as she forced her way in, Marshal at her heels. "Are we having another drill?" The techs continued to ignore her, trying to link up with guards and give them stats. "Hello!" Helena shouted, grabbing one computer lackie and shaking him. "Why does it sound like a Level 5 alert?"

"Because it is one." The tech said, pointing at the screen, a sneer on his face. "Escaped prisoners."

Marshal snarled. "Watch your tongue, boy."

Another techie stepped in. "We have 5 escaped prisoners. Someone managed to break into the facilities and open their cells."

"You have a picture of the person who broke in?" Helena questioned, wondering perhaps if Linda, Kelly and Hank had moved up the timetable on helping her safe Tina Linderman. But instead of one of her son's friends, she saw…"It's Lee girlfriend!"

Marshal frowned. "The one I fought…the superstrong one? She drowned!"

"Apparently not." The tech said. He punched in a few keys. "These are the escaped prisoners, Mrs. Daniels."

Helena quickly looked at the security cam shots. "Lee Malion, big surprise. Sergei Arkadiy, that's interesting. Madrid Alverez…wait, why do we have a movie star and her little sister in holding?"

"She used her power to make counterfeit money." The tech said simply.

"Tina Linderman?" Marshal questions. "Why her?"

"Must have found out she was here, decided to use her as ransom…or maybe she arranged this with the woman and her accomplice."

"Accomplice?" Helena questioned.

The tech pointed to another pic. "This man…he broke the little girl out of maximum security. Killed several guards doing so." He pressed on the earpiece he was wearing. "Valencia Alverez is marked as an A-Class, and has been marked for only capture. Kill the rest, but protect the girl!" He looked at his monitor. "Do you have any suggestions Mrs. Daniels?"

Silence.

"Mrs. Daniels?" The techie asked, turning around and finally noticing that Helena was shaking violently, face white and eyes near tears. Marshal was holding her up, the woman's knees already having buckled.

"Carter." She whispered. "Carter…"

Marshal reacted instantly, grabbing an earpiece sitting on a desk. "Attention all personal! Carter Daniels is alive and inside the building, in the company of the escaped prisoners. He is to be brought in unharmed, is that understood?"

"Negative." A voice responded.

"Terrence." Marshal snarled, eyes going cat-like. "This is a direct order from Helena Daniels. Her son is not to be harmed."

"Carter Daniels is an A-Class; that overrides any of Mrs. Daniels' commands. Besides, she is too close to the situation."

"And your not?"

Terrence paused for a moment. "Stay out of this."

"Terrence….Terrence!" Marshal shouted. He roared as he got nothing but static, smashing a table with his bare fist. "Helena…we have to go…" He shook his partner, trying to snap her out of her shock. "he's going to kill Carter! Helena!"

&

Carter let out a primal scream, send an arc of energy at several guards, knocking them off their feet. He slid to the ground, kicking their legs out from under them, before grabbing one and slamming him to the ground.

"Stay down, Metatron!" Sergei shouted, firing off several rounds of barbs, cutting through the ranks with ease. Carter followed that up by sending another wave of energy at the armed men, before Sergei hauled him to his feet. "The others are just ahead."

Just down the hall, Tina and Jessica were working on a wall, pounding and melting their way through the thick steel. It might have gone quicker, had they worked together…but this was Tina and Jessica.

"Nice hole…if we could shrink to the size of rats." Jessica sneered. She grimaced as she slammed her fist into the steel, the metal only buckling slightly.

"Atleast I'm making holes…are you done massaging that thing yet?"

"I'll be through before you can double the size of that hole!"

"Through as in killed by the guards…" Tina snapped. "And…atleast my boobs are real."

Jessica was on Tina in a second. "These are what I was born with…besides, maybe you should a boob job… perk yourself up!"

Lee frowned. "Shouldn't we be trying to escape?"

Madrid rubbing her forehead. "Of all the escape parties I could have joined…"

"Maddy…" Vally tapped her sister's nose. "What a boob job?"

"Something that should be discussed when we aren't running for our lives." Carter snarled, hands glowing. "I swear to God, you two don't stop, I'll leave both of you behind!" His eyes flashed silver as he got in their face. "Jessica, punch Tina's side of the wall!"

Jessica glared at him. "I don't follow your orders."

"Galatea…sweetie…" Lee said softly. "Maybe we should listen…"

"Did I ask your opinion?" Jessica shouted.

"…no." Lee whimpered.

Sergei fired off several barbs, taking down a few guards that had managed to follow them. "Friends...we must hurry…"

Madrid shook her head, shoving Vally into Carter's arms. "Men…don't know how to talk to women." She walked over to Jessica and Tina, smiling sweetly. "Girls…" She grabbed their ears and twisted them hard. "My baby sister has been tortured by these people and I'm not letting that happen again. Work together now!"

"Ow ow ow!" Tina shouted.

"Ok!" Jessica stammered. Madrid let them go, allowing the strong woman to begin punching her way through Tina's half of the steel door.

"Is she always like that?" Carter asked.

Vally giggled. "Maddy silly."

"That she is." A new voice called out from behind the door. Jessica's fist halted mid-punch as the steel slid open…

…revealing Terrence and a battalion of guards.

"Thinking she could escape…so silly." Terrence taunted. Carter quickly handed Vally back to Madrid, moving to protect his daughter and her birth mother from Daniel Linderman's right hand man. Tina and Sergei flanked him, Jessica and Lee beside the Alverez girls. "Carter Daniels…I heard you were dead."

"He got better, apparently." Lee quipped.

"Don't steal my lines." Carter said sternly, before turning towards the guards. "Hello Terrence…I've heard so much about you."

"Is that so?" Terrence asked, fingers wiggling. "Then I suppose you know what I can do?"

" I know more then you realize. I know all about your past with Linderman. I know how you hate my mother, how you are trying to take her place within the Company. I know of your power…how you discovered it, and how you used it to bring Vally in." He narrowed his eyes. "But most of all, I know your secret, Terrence."

"My secret?" He questioned.

Carter nodded. "Of course…the real reason Linderman brought you in…the real reason you want to kill me."

Terrence licked his lips. "Who told you?"

"Eden. She told me all about you…about how your mother told you stories about your father, the man that abandoned you."

Terrence took a step forward. "Shut up." His father was a sore spot for him. He idolized the man from the stories his mother had told him as a child. He had heard how powerful and wonderful his father was, and longed to meet him one day. He loved him just as much as he hated the reason his father had left before he was born…

"She told me how your father would move from woman to woman, sleeping around and taking their money."

"Shut up!" Terrence snarled, separating himself from the guards and heading towards Carter. The Metatron followed suit, the two pacing like caged lions waiting for a piece of raw steak to come their way.

"How he would stay only until his girl would get clingy…or produce another mouth to feed…"

"I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP!"

Carter kept talking, his own rage building. "But most of all, she told me how one night in Texas, your son-of-a-bitch father raped a teenager, leaving her for dead." Terrence's body quivered with blood-boiling anger as Carter continued with his rant, the guards and the escapees all staring on in shock as the two began to circle each other. By now, Terrence was barely holding back from blasting Carter, while the younger man's whammy energy was pouring off of his body, causing those near by to grow tense. "How he left her alone and scared… pregnant with yet another of his bastard children. A child you blamed for all your suffered; a child you blamed for your father not being there, when the truth was your father never loved you…just like he never loved any of his children…not you…not Eden…not me." Carter's eyes flashed. "Yea…I know all about you…_brother_."

&

Author's Note: Instead of questions, I thought I would go over the meaning of the last two titles for the chapters:

Chapter 25: A Sound of Thunder- This title actually comes from the short story, A Sound of Thunder, which used it for the same reason I did. A sound of thunder refers to a gunshot, echoing after fired. There are two ways people describe being shot: Silence and thunderous. A Sound of Thunder referred to the shot that killed Claire.

It also has a second reference to Galatea's breaking into Lee's cell.

Chapter 26: The Ties that Bond-This refers to all the different (many secret)connections that can be found in the story and especially in this chapter:

-Carter is Vally's Father

-Madrid is Vally's Mother

-Tina knows about Vally, Carter and Madrid (as seen in Sins of the Father Part 2)

-Jessica/Galatea

-Lee killed Carter

-Carter's mother captured Lee

-Helena and Terrence are rivals

And especially the final one, that Carter, Terrence and Eden are all half siblings (all three share the same father).

In case there is some confusion, only Carter, Terrence and Eden are related to each other. Claire is Carter's half sister through his mother, Terrence and Eden through his father. As it has been hinted, there are many sons and daughters of Mr. Ellis running around, and as such, many possible Heirs of Isaiah. Why Carter is believed by so many to be the true heir is a key plot point.


	27. Metatron

"What a minute…" Lee said, holding up his hand, "…your mom kidnapped me, and your brother works for this company too?" He scoffed. "Should have known this was all a trick."

"Adopted mother and half brother, get it right." Carter said simply, before turning back to Terrence. "The man kills me and thinks he can just mouth off to me."

Terrence merely held up his hand, sending another attack at Carter, the Metatron yawning as it struck.

"Interesting fact, brother: Those of the House of Ellis are immune to their relatives' powers. Which means your little jolts won't fry my nerves…" Carter waved away the whammy energy. "And I can't make you feel fear."

Circling each other once more, the brothers sized each other up, knowing what was to come next. Terrence removed his watch, slipping it into his pocket, as well as the keycard that hung around his neck. Carter let his jacket slide off his shoulders, tossing it towards Sergei who caught it with one hand, the other still nervously aimed at the guards.

"Stand down." Terrence said sternly. "Be on guard, but stand down. This is between me and the boy."

"I am no boy." Carter said sternly, rolling his shoulders. "I did not spend my time on the other side resting. For a year I trained, master all forms of self defense and battle…for this moment." Carter pointed at Vally. "You stand in the way of that little girl and freedom. You stole it from her…and now, I will give it back." Carter tensed. "Die."

It was as if a stretched rubberband had been cut, the action so quick. The brothers rushed each other, fists flying. Legs spun and jabbed at torsos, faces were sent snapping back as they were strike by uppercuts, cries of frustration, pain, and victory echoed through the hallway as they did battle. With every punch that contected, 10 more were dodged. The two were moving at speeds that amazed all around them, and it had nothing to do with their powers. No, these were two warriors, trained by the greatest masters, pitied against each other in a fight for survival.

Sergei watched them in shock, floored by their skill. He knew without a doubt that these two men were at the top of their game, holding nothing back. In another place, another time, had they been united as a team instead of enemies…they would never have tasted defeat.

Tina was less concerned with watching the Metatron and his brother do battle, instead focused on the many guns that awaited them once the battle was over. The sweet smell of almonds began to fill the hall as acid dripped from her palms nervously.

Valencia Alverez watched on in awe, eyes taking in every punch, every kick, every strike her daddy made. She silently cheered him on, her hero, as he did battle against the mean man that had taken her and Madrid. The fact that this was her uncle didn't bother her; for little Vally, all she needed was her daddy and her Maddy. And when they were with her, she knew she was safe.

Somewhere else inside her, where the adult she would become dwelled, she wondered if she would be able to fight like her daddy did.

Terrence knew he would lose. He had the superior training. He had been given the best lessons and equipment to work on his craft. He had given up 10 years of his life to become a living weapon, to never again know of defeat.

But in the end, he knew he would lose.

For Carter Daniels had something to fight for.

'If I can not beat him…' Terrence thought suddenly, 'I can assure that he will not use the girl against the company.' Twisting out of a hold his younger brother had put him in, Terrence sprung forward towards the group, hand latching onto Vally's forehead. The little girl screamed in terror as he roughly shoved her head back, trying to force her brain to shut down. But just as he felt his powers rev up, Vally's eyes flashed pink, and what felt like shields dropped down, locking him out.

"Hey!" Lee shouted, yanking Terrence away from the girl. There was no way he was going to stand by and let anyone hurt a kid. Cocking his fist back, he let fly a punch.

Terrence caught Lee's hand with his own, twisting it hard.

"Pathetic." Terrene sneered.

"Yea, you are." Jessica snapped, nodding at Tina before the two of them shot off a tag-team punch. The combination of Tina's acid and Jessica's strength was enough to send Terrence flying. The bodyguard was slow to get to his feet, free hand clutching his face as the acid burned him.

At that moment, Helena and Marshal came around the corner, breathless and fearful of what they would find. It was to their shock that Terrence was down, the fugitives still standings…and Helena's son alive, back to them as he looked a little girl over. In that moment, Helena saw something only a mother could see: The face of her child on another.

She knew Valencia was her granddaughter.

"Men, arms up!" A head guard shouted.

"No!" Helena shouted, Marshal pulling her back with all his strength, his partner and friend trying to get between the men and her child…and granddaughter. "Stand down!"

Carter didn't pay attention, instead focused entirely on Valencia. "You ok sweetie?" He asked, even as his mother fought to control the company men.

Vally nodded slightly, rubbing her forehead. "He tried to hurt me…couldn't." She said, confused. "Something…stopped him?"

Carter squeezed his daughter's shoulder. "Yea…something stopped him…the House of Ellis can't destroy itself." He mumbled the last part, before locking eyes with Vally. "Turn around, babygirl…don't want you watching this."

"Watching what?" Madrid questioned, wanting to know why this strange man seemed to care for her sister so.

"My duty." He said coldly. Carter's head slowly turned back to his brother, Terrence taking a step back as he saw the pure hatred pouring from Carter's now glowing eyes. And as Carter stood, there was no doubt that this was not Carter Daniels.

Terrence now faced God's newest avatar, the Metatron.

"Every death here is on your head, brother…not mine." Metatron snarled, body going rigid as his powers flared to life, illuminating his body. Soon, he was a being of light and energy, flesh and bone hidden behind the flaring whammy energy. His voice distorted, growing deeper and echoing, as he rose on his tiptoes, body ramrod stiff. "**Behold the Voice of God**"

"By God…" Helena whispered, staring at Terrence. "You've killed us all."

"Shoot him!" Terrence screamed. "Shoot him!"

But it was too late.

With a primal bellow, the Metatron exploded.

&&&

(Kelly, Hank, Linda, Noah and Claire- New York City)

Kelly raised her weapon, aiming it at BeeBee "That's nice, die now." She fired off several shots, before turning to the group. "One down…" A chuckle cuased her to look back in time to see BeeBee still standing, 4 bullets rotating against her skin. "I'll be dipped."

"She's a kinetic manipulator." Bennet said sternly. "Get down!"

The group dropped just as BeeBee sent the bullets back at them, causing a microwave to explode. Hank frowned, glaring at Bennet as the older man flipped some of the metal folding tables down, forming a semi-usualful shield while the two assasins fired several rounds at them. "How'd you know that?"

Claire looked at her father. "Another one of your "friends"?"

"No." Bennet said simply. "I've dealt with someone like her before. Only he was a black midget with an afro." The others stared at him. "Question later, shot now!"

"Love too!" Hank said, leaping up and opening his own weapon on Riker. His efforts garnered the same results as Kelly's, only by differenet reasons. As the bullets got near Riker, his body stretched out of the way, wiggling slightly before returning to its natural form. "Great, the a female Juggernaut and Mr. Fantastic Redux. How do we fight that?!"

"Creatively." Bennet said, firing off several shots at BeeBee. "The girl can't move while using her power. We keep firing and she's stuck." He tossed Claire his gun. "A few shots, duck, repeated." The teen nodded. Bennet turned to Linda, while the other three focused on keeping the assassins from coming a step closer. . "You control water." She nodded. Bennet could not believe he was about to do this. It would be the second time he had taught someone to use their powers in a new, more dangerous way. His job had been to stop those with abilities, not aid them in growing more powerful…but like with Ted, this was a matter of life and death. "You have only used your powers to control rivers, streams, and water flowing from other sourced. But you can control any water…from the water particles in the air…to the water that makes up plasma." Linda's eyes widened. "It is a dangerous move…but needed. Focus on the male…and rip the blood right out of him."

"I…I can't…" Linda stammered. "I gave up that life…I swore I'd never kill again…"

Bennet didn't betray his surprise that this cultured woman had take lives before. "Listen to me…I've encountered a lot of people like these two. They are trained only to kill and capture. Best hope is they put bullets in our heads. Worst…we end up experiments. Their lives are worthless…" He gripped her shoulders. "You are doing them a favor."

Linda gulped, the usually rock solid professor chilled to the bone as she raiseda shaking hand up, focusing on Riker. Bennet gave the command for the others to focus on BeeBee while Linda did her part.

Riker gripped his stomach in pain, BeeBee unable to move towards him as she was constantly sending bullets back at the group. His rubbery skin rippled, before his chest began to expand like a balloon, forcing him to stand up straight. He cried out in agony as Linda torn the blood out of his body through his pores, leaving him twitching on the floor, covered in his own plasma.

"GO!" Bennet shouted, firing one last shot at BeeBee before darting out of the room, the others on his heels. He stopped only to grab a nearly catatonic Linda, who'd frozen up at the sight of Riker, dragging her out of the breakroom and towards their only route of escape.

&&&

The escaped prisoners blinked, at last regaining their vision. After the Metatron's explosion, everything had gone white, leaving them blind to the world. Their ears had been filled with the tormented screams of the guards, raw and agonizing cries that ripped at their hearts. Even Jessica, the most stone hearted of them, had been chilled to hear-yet-not-see the destruction the Metatron had lay bare upon those that had dared to attack Valencia.

Somehow, not seeing what was happening was worse.

Though, seeing the end result wasn't any better.

The floor could no longer be seen. It was covered with a taspestry of blood, bile, bodily waste and dead bodies. Each guard laid twisted, their faces showing the fear and horror the Metatron had inflicted upon them. Some had torn their skin to ribbons, others bashing their skulls in, still more had simply curled up and died. There had been no mercy, no quick death. This had been torturous murder…plain and simple.

Only two were left alive. Terrence, back against the wall, staring at the broken forms of his men. And the Metatron, standing in the middle of the carnage, eyes glowing silver in displeasure.

"**They died because of your arrogance, brother.**" Metatron said coldly, staring Terrence down. "**Know in your heart that I would not have unleashed this death upon them, had you kept away from the girl.**" He nodded, as if agreeing with an unheard voice. "**Valencia Alverez is under the protection of Heaven. I, her knight on Earth. Bring harm to her or those dear to her, and I will lay siege to all you care for until you beg for death. So speak the Metatron…voice of the one true God.**" With that, his entire demeener changed, eyes returning to normal as he quickly stepped away from the bloodbath. "We n-n-n-need to g-g-go." He stuttered. "I've u…u…used up too much power. I need to h-h-h-heal."

The others stared at him for a moment before agreeing. "Come on." Jessica said. "Lets go."

&&&

BeeBee held Riker in her arms, running through the back alleys of New York. This was a nightmare come true, an impossible reality come to light. Riker, the man that had saved her from a life of prostitution and given her purpose…who had helped her discover her powers…lay dying from bloodloss, not a wound on him.

'I'll kill that witch!' BeeBee's thoughts screamed as she hurried, trying to find a hospital. She knew it was in vain. There was no way she could enter without leaving in shackles. Her and Riker's faces were too well known. 'Riker…I'm sorry…'

So consumed with her thoughts, BeeBee didn't notice the older man standing infront of her until she hit him head on. Stumbling back, she lost her balance, her and Riker falling to the wet asphalt. She readied herself to attack, but was startled to find the man who stood before her watching her with interest.

"Biddy Bargo…" The old man said with a slight smile. "I knew I would find you here."

"Have you come to kill me?" She asked instantly.

"No."

"Then I don't have time to talk." She snapped, struggling to get up.

The old man shook his head. "You'll want to talk to me…considering I can save Riker's life." BeeBee paused, the old man jerking his head towards a limo that stood idling behind him. "I have transport…and a medical team ready to aid you."

BeeBee was doing a fish impression. "Wh..wh…what?"

The old man chuckled. "I have made it my business to keep tabs on The Company…keep your enemies close and such. When I saw you two hired in as a Plan B, should New York fail to go nuclear…something I must say I am glad was avoided, I knew it would be the perfect time to come and…bring you to my side."

"Your side?" BeeBee asked.

The old man nodded. "Yes…The Company isn't the only group out there dealing with those with gifts…there is mine…an…alliance…of those that…shall I say…" The man removed one of his gloves, revealing that his hand was made completely out of diamonds. "…are like you."

&&&

"This is how I died last time."

Lee looked at Carter in confusion. After his blast, Carter had barely been able to walk, let alone run. Sergei and Lee had been volunteered by the girls to help him, each taking an arm and dragging him through the halls.

"Your clones didn't do it…I did. I used my powers too quickly…I had to kill myself to stop them." He smiled slightly, glad he had atleast managed toget rid of his stupid stutter. "So it wasn't all your fault."

Lee looked at him. "Your mom still kidnapped me…and you ruined my chances to be rich."

Sergei snorted. "I believe that means 'apology accepted' in Boston." Lee merely glared at him, while Carter chuckled slightly.

Ahead of them, Tina was lost in her own thoughts. 'Carter Daniels…one of the few people my father feared.' She remembered well the files her father had given her back when she worked for him, detailing many of the people The Company was after. She also remembered the ranking system they used.

Each hero was given 2 rankings. The first listed what type of power they had, a broad idea of how their power could be used. She herself would have been a Soldier class, now a Rogue Class. The most dangerous of these rankings was the A Class, or Armegedon Class. These were people whose powers could be deadly on a global scale. 4 A Class heroes were known by The Company, all independent: Ted Sprauge, Peter Petrelli, the man known as Sylar, and Carter Daniels.

The second ranking was how skilled they were with their powers. Most people, after developing their powers, would only learn about them to a small degree, never truly experimenting. Of the thousands of believed super-humans in the world, only 39 of them truly understood how to use their powers fully. These ranks were based on the greek alphabet: People just developing their powers were Alpha Level. Those that could control their powers were Betas. Next were Gammas, or those that could master the basics of their powers. After that, there were 22 ever higher levels of understanding. Tina herself was on the cusp of Gamma.

The final level were the most dangerous. Omega Level was for those that understood how to use their powers fully. In the ancient world, they were seen as gods, as they could use one power to perform a vast array of things.

Terrence was an Omega Level. So was had been Tina's father. Infact, all the senior members, all 12 of them, were Omegas. Then there were 5 that worked for The Company that had been trained to use their powers fully, like Terrence or The Haitian. The rest were rogues that had managed somehow to learn about their powers fully.

Carter Daniels, in his file, was a Gamma Level. Atleast…until the time of his death.

Tina Linderman held no doubt, after seeing him function as the Metatron…that Carter had somehow leap-frogged to Omega Level. Only one other Armageddon Omega had existed before.

Sylar.

Tina frowned, turning to glance at Vally. 'And my father felt this girl would surpass her father…'

"This is it." Jessica said, motioning towards a door. "Beyond this, sweet freedom."

Madrid grinned. "Good…I don't every want to lay eyes on this place again." As she moved towards the door, she found herself stopped by Jessica.

"There…is one thing I didn't mention…"

"ANd what is that?" Madrid asked, throwing open the door.

The group froze as they looked out at the world around them.

As far as the eye could see, there lay flat, endless snowy tundra. The sky was pitch black, even though it was mid-day, and the winds whipped around them, sending snow flakes and icy bits of hail in their faces. Lee and Sergei stared at each other in horror, Carter looking on with dread, Jessica grimaced while Madrid held Vally closer to her.

(The Fugitives- The Alaskan Wilderness, 60 miles outside of Juno)

"Cover the baby's ears." Tina said softly. Vally looked around in confusion as Madrid clamped her hands over her sister's ears, the little girl stubbornly declaring she, "wasn't a baby". Tina took a step outside, staring at the endless frozen expanse, before looking to the heavens.

"MOTHER F--"


	28. Exodus

"_It is a call we all feel, at some point. The urge to leave behind the familiar, to move on to the fantastic. Or perhaps, it is the hope of abandoning the darkness of unwanted situation, and find the light at the end of the tunnel. For what ever the reason, there is but one hope…that what we travel to is worth journey."_

_-Mohinder Suresh_

"Are we dead yet?"

"No."

"Are we dead yet?"

"No."

"Are we dead yet?"

"No!"

"Are we…"

Galatea turned around, glaring at Tina, the woman chattering her teeth hard "We'll tell you when we're dead, ok?"

"…okay." Tina said sullenly.

(The Fugitives-The Alaskan Plains)

Lee chuckled to himself, but grew silent when Galatea glared at him. He would rather focus on driving the sled then deal with his creation's new found temper.

After Tina had stopped cursing, the group had quickly decided they needed to get a move on, as fast as possible. No one was for sure how long Carter's blast would hold off the guards, and none really wanted to find out. Unwilling to head back inside and find where their captors kept the snow mobiles, Lee had stepped up, drawing on the side of the building with one of Sergei's barbs and the artist's own blood as paint. In 5 minutes, he had managed to bring his creation to life: 10 large sled dogs that could live off of just snow; with bones growing out of their backs and forming a large sled.

It had been Madrid, cradling a shivering Vally, who had pointed out that they were all (save Carter) in thin cloth outfits and were going to be riding in an open sleigh in the middle of November in Alaska. Lee had quickly drawn up crudely made living mink blankets, which helped cut down on the wind chill, but not enough.

Even the minks were hiding their heads beneath their warm underbellies.

Infact, the only person that was having a good time was Vally. She was hiding under one of the blankets, sitting between Madrid's legs, giggling as the mink licked her hands, Carter's leather coat wrapped tightly around her little form.

Carter sat next to Lee, helping the other man guide the sleigh, cold but handling it real well. The group was trying to share body heat, the girls in the back, the guys in front, acting as windshields. Sergei sat on the other side, holding the blanket as tight as he could.

"My father, he spoke of such winters back in Russia. Never understood what he meant until now." The Russian said. He glanced over at Carter, who wore little more then a shredded shirt and a mink blanket around his shoulders that billowed like a cape. "You seem to handling the weather better then the rest of us. What is your secret, Mr. Metatron?"

Carter smirked. "I'm from Michigan."

"oh…my condolences." Sergei replied.

Carter frowned, confused, while Lee laughed.

&&&

"What does it say?"

(Anthony Delpine-New York City)

Ashleigh Delpine looked over the folder, then at her father. "They'll make a recovery…why we care, I don't understand." In a move that should have been possible, Ashleigh both stood up and remained seated; dividing in two, the standing 'drone' moved to replace the folder and gather other items the main Ashleigh desired. "They tried to kill Hank."

"You think I don't know that?" Anthony asked, raising an eyebrow. "You believe me so old and stupid that I don't see when 2 people try to murder my grandson?"

Ashleigh rolled her eyes, stylish black heeled boots swaying in front of her as she perched on the desk, one hand moving to play with the pendent around her throat. Shaped like a trumpet, upon it was written "9:13". "I'm just commenting, dad, just commenting."

Anthony nodded, motioning with his hand towards her as her clone returned, merging back with her. "The file…what did it say?"

"The boy, Riker, he'll recover. Transfusion in place…if it weren't for his power, he'd be dead. Skin would have ripped right off."

"And what of the normal examinations?"

Ashleigh nodded, recalling the info. "The girl, BeeBee, is the only one with any serious problems. Our cat scan showed she suffered some sort of trauma years ago. We had a med guy run some tests," Ashleigh licked her lips, "they showed she has a slight chemical imbalance, causes her increased aggression and anger. Maybe even a totally different personality then before the accident. Nothing we can't manage."

"Good." Anthony said. "Very good. I need them both for this to work."

"And what are you planning, dad?" Ashleigh asked.

"Daniel Linderman is dead. The Company is in shambles. Noah Bennet is in hiding, Helena Daniels is off the radar. The perfect time to strike." He turned to his daughter. "I need you to make a one of your General Clones, instruct it to watch over BeeBee and Riker."

"As they do what?"

"I need them to get into Linderman's office and get me some information…"

"I could do that." Another voice added in, long silent during the conversation.

Anthony frowned. "I prefer stealth to this mission, Merrick."

Merrick Delpine glared, fingers twitching slightly. He was dressed in a tight muscle shirt, black pants, and combat boots. His long brown hair was done up in a ponytail, dyed to hide the gray streaks that were beginning to show. Around Merrick's neck hung a pendent like Ashleigh's. But upon his trumpet was inscribed "8:7"

"Why bother with stealth?" Merrick asked snidely. "Smash and grab, dad…smash and grab."

"We can't afford to hurt the humans…"

"Let'em be hurt." Merrick stated. "Gods don't worry about insects."

Ashleigh scoffed. "It because of that thinking we have to be so careful. We'll have half of the Alliance after us after they find out what you did to Lord William."

"Let them come…the other half will stand by us…and if they don't." His finger twitched. "I'll just crush'em."

Anthony had lost all patience. "ENOUGH!" He shook his head. "While you go about destroying this and that, we live in ever fear of the prophecy!"

Merrick laughed. "The prophecy? It has been proven false." He recited it off the top of his head. "There shall come, from the land of the fire starters the Heir of Isaiah. He shall find, from the land of the sun the Guardian and the light-bringer. When three together, from night to day, they find the hunted children. And beneath the flesh of giving Earth, Eden will rise again." He sneered. "The Heir of Isaiah is dead, father, or have you forgotten? Only two male heirs were born to Edward Ellis: Terrence and Carter. Only Daniels fits the prophecy, and he died saving Philadelphia from himself. Gabriel is not the heir, for the heir's father must be of the line, not the mother, and the rest of Edward's progeny are daughters." 

Anthony shook his head. "And what of the other prophesy; the one speaking of our downfall?" He too recited this from memory: "From the pines will come first a son. Down his forefathers' path he will travel, of his own will and conviction. Time will provide his new path, and the son will leave the forest and join with other believers. The sins of the father will not past to the son, for he will tear down the old land and a new house shall he build.

"From the pines will come second a lion. Wild and dangerous to all, he will find purpose through god's voice. While in the shadows, the forest will not fear him. But when the light pierces the past, and the hidden roslyn found, woe be unto the pine from which his sire split free." Anthony stared his son down. "The pines is us…and we know who the son could be."

"More children's fairytales." Merrick said simply. He shook his head in disgust, making for the door. "Do what you wish, father. But soon you will come to me…and you will see that my way is best."

Ashleigh jumped slightly when her brother slammed the door shut. "He will cool down, father…he always does."

Anthony frowned. "The loss of his child stings him still. Hank will come unto his powers soon, and your brother longs to be their to guide him. Let us thank God that Carter Daniels is dead…" He shook away the dark thoughts. "But now is not the time for this. Go, prepare your General. I will see that BeeBee and Riker are ready when she is."

&&&

"So…that was fun." Claire said sarcastically.

"Why is it our trips always end like this?" Kelly asked.

Hank frowned. "We're cursed.

(The Travelers, Claire, and Noah-New Jersey)

Bennet got right to the point. "We need to separate."

Claire looked at her father, agaust. "What? No!" She glared at him. "I want to know about my brother, and splitting up…"

"…is the smartest thing." Linda said, getting over the emotions that had left her frozen after attacking the Rubber Band Man. "Look…as 5, we travel slower…"

"And we need to still get your mother and Lyle." Bennet added.

"Now we're at 7…"

"8." Claire corrected. "Mr. Muggles."

"Muggles…as in the ordinary people in the Harry Potter books?" Kelly asked.

"Witch-craft." Hank muttered, forgetting for a moment he had renounced God after Carter's death. "…yea for it." He added lamely.

"I doubt mom named him after that…" Claire said, thinking it over. "Though, I'm not totally sure…"

"We're not here to discuss dog names." Bennet snapped. "We need to split up, and we to do it now." He paused, thinking things over. "You have Helena's phone number?"

"Yea…" Linda said. "We're suppose to call her as soon as we found Claire."

"Well don't." Bennet said. "This proved The Company still has their sights on us…Helena might be bugged." He tossed Claire's cellphone, to the teen's horror. "I'll look into it, make sure she is ok…don't contact her until I contact you with the okay."

"Hey, make them use your phone!" Claire shouted. "Mine has all my ringtones on there."

"I'll buy you a new one…a better one, ok Clairebear?" Not looking to see if he had pacified her, Bennet turned back to Linda. "Am I clear? Not a word."

"Crystal." Linda said sullenly, not liking Bennet, the least of all which him forcing her to take a life. "And let me guess…no calling you."

"Smart." Bennet said. "We'll have to go back to the city, get our car. You guys…"

Kelly jerked her thumb towards the van that had gotten them to New Jersey. "The Mystery Machine will get Shaggy, Scooby and I out of her while you go on your merry way, Freddy."

Bennet frowned at Kelly's snarky attitude, but let it go. Claire looked at the three, sad she wouldn't be able to hang out with her brother's friends. They seemed like good people, and she could understand why he had traveled with them. "Where will you be going."

"Best not to say." Hank said coldly, glaring at Bennet. The fact that he had known about Carter and done nothing had earned him the contempt of Carter's former enemy. Plus…his distrust of them had gotten on Hank's last nerve. "You know…until we are sure ya ain't bugged."

Bennet merely nodded curtly, before motioning for Claire to follow them. The cheerleader glanced at the group one final time, and made a move to leave. Kelly darted forward, pulling something from her pocket and handing it to Claire, smiling slightly before letting her go.

"Where to now?" Kelly asked, once Bennet and Claire were out of sight.

"Las Vegas." Linda said. "I've…got friends there. Friends that need to know there is a woman running around with one of their faces."

&&&

"What did she give you?" Bennet asked after a few minutes of silence.

Claire didn't say a word as she stared at the picture. It was a photo of Kelly, arm wrapped around a young man with short yet shaggy brown hair, his smile one she saw in the mirror each morning; his eyes so much like her own. She ran a finger along the picture, memorizing every feature and wishing she could have seen this face in real life.

"My brother." Claire whispered, tugging the picture away. "My brother."

&&&

Carter looked down at Vally, shaking his head. "No."

"No?" Madrid asked, insulted. "What's wrong with her outfit."

"Isn't it obvious?"

"No, it isn't."

Tina glanced over at Vally, dressed in a pink shirt and shorts, a little backpack on. "Look, its Dora the Explorer! Hola Dora!"

Madrid blanched as Vally frowned, ripping the backpack off. "No!" She snapped at Madrid. "No Dora!"

Madrid sighed, looking around the Goodwill Store. It had taken all night to get there, but somehow, the group had survived the cold and made it into a small town. Armed with some cash Madrid had managed to duplicate (Carter thanking God he had grabbed his wallet from the morgue and that it had some 5s in it), they had set about getting new duds. The clerk hadn't given them a second look, not after Carter had whammied her, leaving them free to shop.

"What do you want them, sweetie?" Madrid asked, kneeling down next to Vally and pulling the shirt off. Madrid had gone with the non-descript: red hoodie with a kitty cat on it, a pair of old jeans and usable tennis shoes.

"Want stuff like this!" Vally said, yanking on Carter's coat. "Look like Da…"

"Dangerfield." Carter said quickly. "She wants to look like Rodney Dangerfield. Get the respect he never got…ha ha…ha…" He shot Vally a look, the little girl looking at him, confused. He made a note to talk to her about her calling him 'daddy' in public.

"…you are a strange, strange man." Madrid said, dragging Vally away to do some more shopping, muttering about "crazy glowing men".

Carter, noticing he had been left alone (since he was the only one with almost a full wardrobe to start with), moved towards the cash register and grabbed the teller's cellphone, ignoring her as she just kept muttering nursery rhymes. 'Have to remember to set her back right before we leave.' He thought as he dialed a number. After a few rings…

"Thank God you picked up." Carter said. "Nice to talk to someone I trust that isn't 2 years old. Listen…I don't know how much time I have, so I'll make this quick. Galatea is taking us to Las Vegas. She says she has some old scores to settle, and Tina thinks she can access her dad's bank accounts. I think we're going to send our captors a bright red flag saying "Catch Us Here!". I need you and your friend in Vegas, ready to get me, Vally and Madrid the hell out of there if things hit the fan."

&&&

Helena Daniels nodded, turning to Marshal as they drove across the US/Canada border. "We'll be in place before you arrive, Carter."

&&&

Author's Note: DON'T READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE NEWEST EPISODE!

Sometimes, I wish I was a writer on HEROES, mainly because I come up with scenes that would work in the show but not in Elsewhere. In this case, it would involve Matt's dad and Carter. Something that Carter hasn't revealed is that, thanks to his death (forcing the whammy energy into him), Carter's brain was rewired to the point that he never dreams, or has nightmares. As such, as I watched the Matt and Nathan suffer, I suddenly was struck with a scene: Matt's dad confronts Carter, as Matt's daddy wants Vally. Carter refuses to move, and Mr. Parkman does his nightmare attack, saying that he will make Carter see pure fear. Carter's head snaps back, before he lowers it to smile at Mr. Parkman. Parkman asks, "What the hell are you?"

Carter: I'm fear incarnate.

The scene ends there.

It joins the Eden/Carter battle and the Carter/Sylar battle as scenes I wish I could have written.


	29. The Secret Lives of Dead People

ONE WEEK LATER

"I always knew it would come down to you and me." Carter said simply, circling the other man.

"Yes…" Sylar said, a dark, playful smirk ghosting his lips. "…light and dark, good and evil…if we were brothers, this would be biblical."

Carter's jacket swirled around him, seeming almost alive. Sylar was dressed in a white lab jacket, the name Suresh stitched on the breast, creating a strange Yin/Yang look between the two. "If you had bothered to read the Bible…you'd know Heaven always wins."

"Who says you're on the side of angels? Your sister was a whore, a criminal…the devil always appears most fair…"

Carter's eyes flashed. "I'd shut up if I were you."

"Then there is Claire…sweet little Claire…oh, I can just imagine the darkness in her…teenagers and hormones and all…"

His hands burst into silver flames. "Pushing it…"

"And then there is little Vally…" Sylar clicked his tongue. "Imagine what I could find in her…"

Carter slammed his fist into the ground, his entire body erupting in flames as he took his Metatron form. "**Die.**"

Sylar laughed. "So that's all it takes to get the great Metatron to appear!" He lifted his hand, sending some dumbbells at the enraged Voice of God, not disturbed that Carter managed to dodge each one. The young man was fast, agile too; it would take a bit more work to stop him.

Using his telekinesis to fling himself into the air, Sylar held out his hand once more, catching Carter and sending the Metatron into a wall, other hand lifting up and crushing Carter's windpipe. Grunting, the hero fired off a whammy blast, hitting Sylar dead on and causing him to cry out, clutching his head in agony.

"**You claim there is darkness in those I love…"** Carter snapped, standing up and firing another blast. Sylar cried out again, trying to focus on sending a piece of gym equipment at the Voice of God. Carter moved two steps over, the treadmill shattered into pieces. Carter knelt down, glowing hand covering Sylar's mouth. **"…lets see what darkness hides in you."** He fired at point blank range, Sylar screaming, twitching…

…before reverting into a piece of paper.

"Time." Carter called out, turning to where Lee was standing.

"1 minute, 10 seconds."

Carter nodded to himself, grabbing a gym towel. The group had arrived in Las Vegas 2 days ago, and promptly decided they needed to find a suitable place to lay low. It had been Sergei who suggested Carter, using his powers, convince a casino hostess that they were high rollers.

Dressed in his duster, a pair of boots and a cowboy hat Madrid had copied, Carter had strolled into the small casino and charmed the staff. Explaining he was on an impromptu vacation with his wife (Madrid), daughter (Vally), brothers (Lee and Sergei) and sisters-in-law (Tina and Galatea), he'd asked for some rooms, some free chips, the works. A careful whammy, and Carter and Lee found themselves in a private gym, Carter training against the strongest paper clones Lee could create.

He'd already killed Sylar twice this morning.

"What next?" Lee asked. He and Carter were on shaky ground, but atleast they weren't at each other's throat.

"Breakfast." He glanced back at the destroyed room. "And explaining to the hostess this damage."

&&&

"You sure about this?" Hank said, glancing around the neighborhood. "Doesn't look like the nicest place…"

Kelly rolled her eyes. "What, to black? Too poor?"

"Too many houses with yellow police tape around them." Hank muttered, before glaring at Kelly. "And you live in Grand Blanc…Yuppieville USA. Don't try and act like your from the street."

(The Travelers-Outside Las Vegas)

"Quiet." Linda said sternly, knocking on the door once more. They heard some shuffling, then the door opened to reveal an older, but not old, African American woman. "Paulette?"

Paulette Hawkins blinked, looking at Linda carefully, before bursting into a million watt smile. "Linda…Linda Frey…look at you, girl." She pulled Linda into a hug, the professor laying her head on the woman's shoulder. "Welcome home, Linda."

"Good to be back…never thought I'd actually get to come back…"

Paulette gently placed a hand on Linda's shoulder, pulling her away so she could take her in. "Haven't seen this face in years…you look so beautiful." She glanced over at Kelly and Hank. "And who are these two?"

"Two of my students…Hank Delpine and Kelly Raegan."

Paulette frowned. "Hank?" She licked her lips. "I remember hearin' about you being on the run, the police looking for you…but that was with a Carter…" Kelly paled slightly. "What is the matter?"

"Its…a long story." Linda replied. "Can we come in?"

&&&

Smack smack smack.

"Vally…" Madrid scolded, using a wet nap to wipe the girl's face. "You have to eat queitly, ok?"

"Why?" Vally asked.

"Because other people are eating, and might not want to hear you smacking."

"But syrup makes my tongue sticky!"

Tina chuckled slightly. "Let the baby eat."

"NO BABY!" Vally shouted in anger. "NO!"

"Vally!" Madrid shouted, frustrated. "Do not yell."

Vally crossed her arms, glaring at Tina as the two of them sat at the breakfast buffet table. "No baby."

Tina merely shrugged, smirking slightly, taking a bite of her bacon. Sergei rolled his eyes. "Do not torment the child, Tina."

"Spoil sport." Tina said simply.

"Who's a spoil sport?" Carter asked, Lee at his heels as the two entered the buffet room.

"Ca-ter!" Vally squealed, leaping from her seat and leaping up, the young man catching her and spinning her around. Vally nuzzled his neck, and whispered, "Daddy" before shimmying down. "Morning!"

"Morning, princess…" He knelt down, reaching into his jacket. "Got a present for you…" He pulled his hand out, wiggling the stuffed animal in herface.

"SPECIAL BEAR!" Vally screamed, snatching the now stitched-back-together stuffed bear from Carter, running to Madrid. "Maddy, special bear!"

"I see, Vally." Madrid said, lifting her into her lap. "Now, what do we say?"

"Thank you Ca-ter!" Vally exclaimed, before happily turning to chatter to her toy.

Carter shrugged, slipping into a chair. "No problem, princess."

The group at pretty much in silence after that, each absorbed in their own little world. It wasn't until Galatea marched in, flipping back and forth between herself and Jessica, that the group pulled themselves from their own thoughts.

"What's wrong?" Lee asked timidly. He was still trying to figure out how to deal with this new Galatea…perhaps that being the reason he had made efforts to stick by Carter. The student somehow scared the artist's creation.

Galatea frowned. "Linderman's casino is being torn down. The stupid foreman wouldn't let me in. Poophead."

"Poophead?" Jessica snapped, taking control. "He was an asshole, a big f…"

"HEY!" Madrid shouted, covering Vally's ears.

Galatea shrugged. "Sorry. We tried to get in, but the guards weren't in the mood. Didn't buy my story, either."

"Said she left her handbag in one of the rooms…" Jessica complained, "…and couldn't remember which room it was…then said it was on the 50th floor, when there isn't a 50th floor."

Sergei frowned. "I am getting a headache."

"You're not the only one, Omega Red." Tina quipped. "So…I'm guessing getting at my father's files will not be as easy as I thought."

"You think?" Jessica snarled.

Lee sighed, head dropping back. "How do we even know the files are still there? Wouldn't this company have already snatched them?"

"Doubt it." Tina commented. "My father did not trust a soul. He kept his files locked away in a vault to which only he had the codenumber. It will take The Company a while to crack it."

Madrid bounced Vally on her knee. "And how are we suppose to get in, then?"

"I melt, Stripper-Hulk smashes." Tina replied. She glanced over at Carter. "And the Metatron can get us in."

Carter nodded. "These files…just how important are they?"

"They contain information about us."

"How much?" Sergei asked.

"Everything. I've only seen 4: Mine, Carter's, Vally's, and Madrid's. But I think he has yours, Sergei."

"And he could have Niki's." Jessica said sternly.

Lee rolled his eyes. "Ah yes, your mysterious sister…"

Jessica shot him a dagger-like stare. "Did I ask your opinion, bug?"

"enough." Carter snapped, coming to Lee's aid. The artist had grown on him, even if he had resulted in Carter's death, and he wasn't in the mood to argue. More and more, he longed for his mother and Marshal to arrive in Vegas and get his, Vally and Madrid's extraction underway. "If we want to live, we'll need to work together."

"My mother once said that bickering among sheep only allow the wolves more dinners." Sergei chimed in.

"He's right." Madrid said, looking at Vally as the toddler played with her bear. "We can't let The Company have any more information they can use against us." She nodded at Carter. "What's the plan, Carter?"

Carter looked over at the group. "I can't believe I'm going to say this…we're going to break into the casino."

&&&

"You told people I was dead!?!"

Paulette waved her hand dismissively. "I never said that. I merely never corrected them."

Linda held her head in her hands. "Everyone thinks I'm dead."

"Well, you did disappear, Linda." Paulette reasons, pouring some tea for Hank. "Did you expect them not to ask questions? When no traces of you could be found, people just assumed you'd been killed, retaliation. D.L. and I decided it was better to just let people think that."

"Bet they never thought to check CMU…" Linda muttered.

"Wait." Kelly said, holding up a hand. "Retaliation?"

Before Linda could stop her, Paulette launched into the story. "You know…how when Linda was a bit younger then you, she was having problems with drugs? Smart thing like her, I don't know why she turned to it, but she did. Took a bit more then she could manage, ended up owing men money. Stopped coming to school, and one day D.L. and I found her on our porch, beaten half to death. Took us a week to get her talking, and she told my D.L. all about how the gangbangers were after her for the money she owed. D.L., bless his soul he was always a good boy, even if he were pigheaded, decided to take matters into his own hands. He and his crew, they found the dealer, tried to fight him. Too many though…those poor boys ended up getting as messed up as Linda was. But Linda, she wouldn't let anyone fight for her. She showed up with a shotgun and blew a hole right through the dealer's stomach. D.L. helped her cover it up, then gave her what cash he'd saved up for a new car and told her to run. I thought for sure she'd only go buy more drugs. Only later found out she used the money in the casino, betting on horse races and making enough to get her through college." Paulette finally paused. "You know…that story."

Hank and Kelly slowly turned towards Prof. Frey, who was trying to shrink down into her chair.

&&&

(London, England)

Seth rushed through the manor's stately halls, past the servents and doctors, ignoring their cries of protest as he made his way towards the master bedroom. He had only just made contact with his employer, learning that Lord William had been attacked, his body broken and organs crushed. He was hanging onto life, and no one knew if he would make it another hour, let alone a day.

Seth had gotten on the next plane, his mission to protect Carter a failure, and arrived at Lord William Beckett's estate to find a mass of people gathered, working to keep the old man alive.

Shoving his way into the bedroom, Seth fell to his knees as he looked at his friend, covered in bandages, bruised and battered. Smoke poured from the frenchmen's mouth as he imagined what he would do to the person that had done this.

"Lord William…"

"Seth…" The Englishman whispered, voice hoarse. "You should not have come."

"I had too…after I heard…" he stroked the older man's hand. "Who did this to you?"

Lord William's laughed weakly. "Who else would dare such a thing."

"The Seven…" Seth whispered, seeking to pin down which it had been. "Merrick."

Lord William nodded ever so slightly. "Yes…he knows of your work with the Heir."

Seth fumed. "I'll kill him this time, old friend. He has gone to far…he will be drummed out…"

"Half the Alliance stands with him, half with us." Lord Williams coughed. "It is as predicted…the Alliance is shattering."

Seth shook his head. "Lord William…you were right. The prophecy…it is wrong. Carter Daniels is dead."

The englishman reached out a frail hand. "No…no." He smiled slightly, eyes far off. "The Great Change is coming."

"Lord William?"

"You know I was tasked with translating The Lost Gospel. When they returned to Egypt, only I was allowed to see the scrolls…" He sighed. "What I did was for the good of us all."

"Lord William…I don't…"

"I altered the prophecy…deleted many lines…to protect the Heir. I changed words to others that would sound similar…but would help hide the heir…only fate would see to it that the Heir would come from the LAND of the firestarters as well…" He gathered his strength, before Seth could stop him. "The true prophecy reads: From the womb of the firestarter, there shall come the Heir of Isaiah, and fear will be his ally. Take once in death's cold embrace, he will awaken reborn, God's voice given form." William smiled slightly, eyes growing heavy. "Seth…Carter Daniels lives."

&&&

"So Carter Daniels lives?" Merrick asked, stroking his chin. He paced his office, mind playing out this new twist. "And you believe this girl…this Vally…is the Light."

The informant nodded.

"Then it is good that he freed you from The Company's Alaskan Prison…fate seems to be on our side." Merrick nodded to himself, turning back to the video phone. "Stay with the group…stay undercover…and when the moment is right, take the girl." Merrick grinned. "You may just yet make up for the mistakes of your father."


	30. Exposition

"Some casino." Carter muttered from the car window, the early morning sun making him squint. "I imagine it looked better open?"

"Yea." Tina admitted. "Yea, it did."

Jessica nodded in agreement. "Doesn't matter now though…we need to get in and get those files." She glanced over at Carter. "Think you can get us to the door?"

"I can try." Carter said, pulling the rental car up to the hastily made metal gate. One of the construction workers stepped towards them, glowering at Carter from beneath his hard hat.

"Closed site. Unless you have a badge, you can't come in."

Tina leaned over and whispered in Carter's ear. "What?" She whispered again. "Fine…if it will make you happy." Carter's hand flashed with energy, making the man's mind open to suggestion. "You do not need to see our badges." The man nodded, Tina motioning for Carter to keep going. "These are not the droids you are looking for. We can go about our business, and oh yes, move along."

The man nodded, letting the car through, Carter returning him to normal once they were past. Jessica glared at Tina.

"Cute."

&&&

Paulette couldn't help but smile as she watched Linda direct Hank and Kelly, the two students moving about the kitchen, cleaning up after breakfast. "A woman could get use to this."

Linda shrugged. "Putting up with 3 more mouths then your use too…it means you deserve some pampering."

Paulette waved that comment off. "Linda, you're like family. You and your students, I could never turn you away." She sighed. "It also takes my mind off of D.L…."

Linda let out her own sigh. "I know…damn that Linderman..." Her eyes narrowed. "I'd like to show him a thing or two…"

"Prof. Frey…" Kelly said quickly. Linda looked up in shock to see that, behind Paulette, the water from the sink was currently swirling like a typhoon, forming a watery fist. Closing her eyes, she shook her head, the sound of a splash filling her ears. "Oops."

Paulette clicked her tongue. "I'd stop playin' in that water, sweetheart." Taking in Kelly's drowned-rat impression, the older woman began to laugh. "Why…why don't you go and get cleaned up…I'll help Hank finish."

Kelly nodded, mumbling about "Stupid Moses parting the Red Sea" as she passed Linda, the professor looking at her sheepishly.

"Moses?"

"nothing…just…" Linda stammered, "quoting…Bible verses."

Hank rolled his eyes.

"You have a problem with quoting the Bible?" Paulette asked.

Hank frowned. "Never did anyone any good."

Linda pulled Paulette close, whispering so Hank couldn't hear her. "don't mind him. After…after we lost Carter…Hank kinda lost faith in God. Thinks his prayers went unanswered."

Paulette took a slow breath. "The boy is hurting."

"We all are." Linda admitted. "Hank…Hank's just taking it harder then the rest of us." The professor heaved a sigh. "He and Carter use to fight…you could call them enemies. Towards the very end though…they ended up becoming friends."

Paulette glanced at Hank as he dried a dish. "We can not blame God for our woes. I have suffered alot during my life. D.L.'s father left us. I have watched my son go to jail for a crime he did not commit. I can not be with my grandson because his mother is threatened by my presence." She shook her head. "Niki…I know you were friendly with her, Linda, but you have to admit…the girl is not suited to be a mother."

"Uh…I don't…"

"She doesn't know how to raise a child. She lets Micah do what he wants, she doesn't nurture his intelligence, and she is constantly making stupid mistakes. Did you know she borrowed money from Linderman? That's why she had to start that horrid website."

Linda frowned, eyes flashing. "Linderman?"

"Yes…used it to get Micah into a private school, only they kicked him out 2 months later."

"How much money did she borrow?" Linda asked, needing to know.

"10,000, I think."

"Pricey prep school." Linda muttered.

Paulette rolled her eyes. "Niki donated the money to them…thought it would help get Micah in. That dean used her like the fool she is…caused all the trouble with D.L. and New York." Linda paused, taking that in, while Paulette glanced back at Hank. "Linda…would you mind terribly taking Kelly and going off somewhere…I'd like to talk to Hank in private."

"Sure." Linda said absent-mindedly. "Sure."

Heading out of the kitchen, leaving Hank to whatever fate awaited him, Linda moved towards the front door, grabbing Kelly by the arm as she entered the foyer and dragging her outside.

"Hey hey hey!" Kelly shouted. "Where the hell are you dragging me."

"To a school." Linda said sternly, letting go of Kelly and focusing her eyes to the west.

Kelly scratched her head. "To finish our higher education?"

A fire hydrant exploded.

"To raze it." Linda snarled.

&&&

"I'm going to look around…make sure there aren't any guards lurking around." Carter held up a cell phone. "Call me if you need me."

"Yes mom." Tina muttered, focused on melting through the steel. Galatea was pounding on another section that had already stopped melting, melt slowly turning inward. "We'll call you when we finish with the hard work."

Carter shook his head, leaving his office and moving down a hallway. "Lets see…Linderman is a gangster…kidnapped my baby girl…my baby girl is poor. Should I steal something…and sell it…and give Vally the profits, then that isn't bad. I'll be like Robin Hood." He glanced at his reflection in a mirrored elevator door. "Yea…I'm not buying it…" His hand glowed. "And I doubt even whammying myself will do any good."

"That it wouldn't!" Carter whipped around, eyes narrowing as he took in the old man that was standing before him. Gray hair pulled back in a pony tail, deep dark eyes staring at him beneath bushy eyebrows and under deep bags. The old man chuckled, shaking his head. "You can try and use that power against me, my boy…but you will find that those of our level are…oh, not immune, but…well, durable. Better conditioned against other powers." He grinned. "And that is merely at your age…when you have lived as long as I…or those you will soon face…you will find that the powers others are blessed with become more and more like a simply a…nuisance."

Carter remained tense. "Who are you, old man?"

"Heaven isn't the only one that watches you with interest." The old man said simply. "Your friends are discovering that."

&&&

"One…more…punch!" Galatea shouted, slamming her fist through the metal…and yanking out a file folder. "Ha ha!"

Tina grinned. "YES!" Galatea snarled, fingers digging into the metal, and ripped the door free, leaving the file room exposed. "Everything…everything we need."

"Correction" The two women turned, finding themselves joined by two more women and a man. The first woman wore a black tank top and tight jeans, obviously the leader of the small group. The other woman was a leather vest, held together by safety pins, ripped jeans and those face portrayed a sense of playful anger. The man wore a skintight t-shirt and jeans, and was leaning against a wall. "Everything _we_ need."

Galatea frowned, eyes flashing as Jessica took control. "That's nice, die now." She picked up the steel door and flung it at the three. Her look of victory cracked as BeeBee took the hit, grinning before she sent the door back at them, slamming it into Jessica.

Tina held up her hand, focusing as she forced the acid to fire from her palms, spraying at Riker. The male assassin's body wiggled out of the way, moving like Jell-O, leaving only Ashleigh. Their leader instantly split into two, the General Clone reforming instantly.

"The Company?" Tina asked.

Ashleigh didn't respond. "Get the papers…kill anyone in our path."

Riker and BeeBee nodded, slowly making their way towards Tina and Jessica.

&&&

"When's Ca-ter coming back?" Vally asked for the twelth time.

"I don't know." Madrid said, rubbing her temples. Since Carter, Tina and Galatea had left that morning, Vally had been a nervous little ball of energy, demanding to know when they would get back…mainly Carter. For Madrid, it made trying to keep the toddler happy that much harder.

Lee leaned against a foam pillar, watching Vally play in the ball pit of McDonalds. "Hopefully soon." He shook his head. "Should have gone with them."

"They can handle themselves, I think." Sergei said, seated in a booth, coffee in hand. "Super strength, acid…whatever it is the Metatron can do…they should have little trouble."

Lee frowned. "Can't help but feel like something is wrong." He shifted, heading over to the large window and staring out at Sin City.

"See Ca-ter?" Vally asked.

"No." Lee muttered. "I'll let you know." Vally considered this, before going back to the balls, sorting them by color as best she could.

Madrid sat down next to Sergei, taking her own coffee and getting a sip. The Russian watched Vally for a moment, before speaking. "She is attached to Metatron, isn't she?"

"Yea…Carter's her hero."

"And how does Carter view her?"

"He's nice to her…humors her…"

Sergei drew a design with some spilt sugar on the tabletop. "I am not to sure." He paused. "Forgive me for saying this…but I worked as a lawyer for many years. I have tried many cases…and seen many evils." He glanced at Vally. "I have seen this."

"Seen what?"

"The makes of…a dangerous relationship."

Madrid frowned. "What…you think Carter's some pedophile?"

Sergei shook his head. "I do not know…he is unnaturally attached to the girl. He has wormed his way into her life. He doesn't know her…yet he does so much for her. I do not see any other reason for it."

"Carter isn't like that."

"How do you know? Have you ever talked with him?" Madrid was ashamed to admit she hadn't. Her focus had been on Vally…on what had happened…this talk with Sergei was one of the rare conversations with a member of their group she'd had since they'd escaped. "You and I…we are perhaps the only two here without questionable pasts. Lee admits to robbing the US Mint. This Galatea…has shown a violent streak I would not like to cross. Tina is the daughter of Daniel Linderman…the man that personally kidnapped me and had m tortured in that place." The Russian leaned in closer yet. "And what do we know of this Metatron? He tells us nothing…he can manipulate people's minds…he disappears for hours only to reappear as if nothing happened. How can we know what any of them want." Sergei gently touched Madrid's hand. "Think about what has happened…then…we will talk."

As Sergei got up, Lee brushed past him. "They've been gone too long…I'm going after them."

Vally grinned. "me too!"

Madrid caught her before she could run after Lee. "No…we stay here."

"NO!" Vally shouted, squirming. "Help Ca-ter!"

Madrid and Sergei shared a look.

&&&

Carter turned, hearing the sounds of battle. "Tina…Galatea…"

"Ignore them." The old man said. "There are more important things to worry about."

Carter frowned. "I doubt that." He said, getting ready to go. "Stop me if you want to…" He warned.

"Have you not wondered…why you?" The old man asked. "Have you not wondered why you were chosen for this fate?" Carter didn't say a word, though he did stop walking. "You know of only a handful of your relatives. Claire Bennet, The House of Ellis. But my boy…you are much more then that." The old man took a step forward. "You are known as The Last Scion. Seth told you this."

"You know Seth?"

"I am his teacher…his employer." The old man said. "He stated you were the Scion of two powerful households…but it is more then that…a third dwells in your veins…one marked for greatness." The old man shook his head. "Isaiah was a powerful man. A hero to many. But he was not complete. Only his Heir, one of another bloodline, would stand the chance of claiming his place. Tell me…has no one told you of Isaiah's story?"

&&&

"This is almost too easy." Riker said, taunting Jessica to punch him. He continued to contort his body, even as the woman destroyed the office with her thrashing. Tina was trying to stop BeeBee, her best plan being to melt holes in the floor and trying to trick BeeBee to fall down one.

It wasn't a good plan…but it was her best.

Ashleigh was in the vault, looking over the files in interest, slowly committing them to memory. The piece of Micah Saunders was particularly interesting.

"Stand still you freak!" Jessica shouted.

Riker frowned, elongated neck twisting around her. "Who you calling a freak?" His body snapped back to meet his head as he dodged another punch. "Atleast I know how to use my powers."

Jessica cried out, shattering a desk and sending bits of wood at BeeBee, who merely reflected them back. "Ashleigh…can we finish this? Its rather sad."

Ashleigh shrugged. "Why not. Riker…kill the girl."

"Love to, boss." He said with a laugh, wrapping around Jessica, strangling the air from her lungs, pulsing and tightening like a snake. Tina tried to help her out, but BeeBee was blocking all her shots. "Next stop, hell." Riker whispered in her ear as Jessica began to slow.

BUUUUUUUUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Ashleigh's head snapped up. "What the…"

A swarm of locust enveloped the room, forcing the three to back away from Jessica and Tina. The two women looked up at their savior, grinning.

"Lee." Jessica whispered.

Lee nodded, before calling the swarm of clone-locust back. "Alright…who was hurting my girl…" His voice trailed off as he stared at Ashleigh, who returned his startled look.

"You." She said, anger and shock in her voice. "The boy in my dreams…"

Lee shivered, growing pale, as he looked on the face he thought he'd never see again. "Mom?"

&&&

In the coming weeks…

A guardian will make a choice

A warrior will walk away

A fallen hero will appear

Bloodlines will be uncovered

An enemy will rise

And a traitor will be revealed

And even if a writer's strike ends HEROES prematurally…ELSEWHERE will live on

For The Heroes War…has just begun

But next week…

While HEROES journeys to the past 4 months…

(We see a figure walking through a deserted western town)

Journey back…

(The figure looks up…)

100 years ago

(and we see an older looking man that looks just like Carter)

Man: The name is Isaiah Sylvester Ellis…and I hear you have a bandit problem

ELSEWHERE

Author's Note:Augh. My stupidity knows no bounds. First, I forget to change my VCR's clock, so I missed Family Guy. Then, I forgot to program Heroes. So, it is off to reading the plot summarizes…which is why, if there was Mohinder intros in the show, there is none in this chapter for now.


	31. Riders in the Sky

"_Reincarnation…is the belief that… our actions in this life will lend to the next. That we live on…over and over again…until we finally get it right."_

_-Krishna Suresh, 1905_

(Texas-1907)

"YEHAW!"

Women scattered, men dove for cover, and the lone dog that say on deck of the barber's shop scampered away as the bandits rode down the main road. Guns firing in the air, hooting and hollering, the thieves were having the best time of their life.

"Man oh man Sonny!" Michael Petrelli shouted, breaking a shop window. "When Stormrider paid us to do this, I didn't think it would be so easy!"

"You got that right, brother!" Sonny Petrelli laughed, firing at a man who was trying to hide. "and to think Mario wanted to stay in New York!"

"Look at what I found, boys!" another bandit shouted, yanking a young girl from her hiding spot. "Party favors!"

"Well, who wants to play with 'er first?" Michael called out, the other bandits cheering.

BANG

Michael's face grew slack, eyes hazy as the blood poured from the bullet hole in his forehead. Falling to the ground, Michael's friends pulled their weapons, looking for the shooter.

In the distance, a horse galloped towards them.

"What in the…"

BANG BANG

Two more fell dead.

One bandit raised his weapon. "Shoot that rider!"

"Don't be stupid!" Sonny shouted. "No man can hit a target that far out…"

BANG BANG BANG

The rider grew closer, now more then just a speck on the horizon, and the men could see he had both his revolvers pinned on them.

"What in the world…" Sonny whispered.

"Dios mios!" Miguel Mendez, another bandit, screamed as they finally saw the figure clearly "A ghost rider!" His face grew pale as he remembered his padre's stories of the damned cowboys, forced to herd the devil's herd across the sky. His padre had warned him that the head rider was a dark figure, dressed in black with blood red eyes, hellfire spewing from his hands.

The rider rode a white horse, the beast snorting as in galloped towards them. The man's long coat, black as pitch, billowed behind him. His hat was fit snuggly on his head, and his mouth was hidden under a black bandana. But what truly brought fear into the bandits' hearts were his eyes.

His crimson, glowing eyes.

"And then I saw a pale horse…" Miguel whispered, "…and his rider was Death…and his brought Hell with him…" He fell to his knees, crying. "Revelations, Revelations…the Seven Horns are blown! The Dragon will devour us all!"

Sonny frowned, drawing his gun and firing it at Miguel, silencing him forever. He had been raised hearing the Bible, and knew his verses well. "Only the 4th seal…this ain't the time for talk of the Seven Horns." He drew his weapon, staring down the grim specter as he moved towards them. "I ain't afraid of ya, boy! The devil don't scare me, and neither will you…"

BANG BANG BANG BANG

Sonny fell to the ground screaming. Hands twitching, he stared in horror at the perfect holes that had been shot through his wrists, knowing the same holes were in his feet, leaving him crippled. He stared up as the rider aimed his gun.

"You should be." The man said coldly, firing off one last blast. Glancing around the town, the rider blinked, red eyes returning to their natural brown. Pulling down his bandana revealed his face, framed with his full beard, as he pulled out a cigar. "Attention, good people of Odessa!" He called out through his mouth full of stogie, the townfolk slowly emerging from their hiding spots. "My name is Isaiah Sylvester Ellis…" He blow smoke out through his nostrils. "And I hear you have a crime problem."

&&&

"Another shot?"

Isaiah shook his head, head lulled back as he took another hit off his cigar. "No thanks, Mr. Frey." The salon owner nodded, placing the bottles back on the shelve. They were alone, save for a few important members of the town that wished to settle up their contract with the gun-for-hire. "But thank ya, darlin'."

"I trust the terms of the contract are agreeable?" A round, baby-faced man asked nervously.

Isaiah shrugged, kicking his feet up onto the bar. "Ride out into the desert. Save some guy, kill the head boss, get my reward…seems simple enough, fella."

"That's Mayor Parkman!" Another man shouted. "Show some respect…" He froze as Isaiah pointed his gun at him.

"Boy…might I make a suggestion?" Isaiah asked. "Don't insult a man that can kill a gang of bandits with just two guns. Ain't smart business."

Mayor Parkman nodded. "He's right." He glared at the other man. "Inviting a curse on your family, Hickey, pissing off men like him." He turned back to Isaiah. "I must warn you, Mr. Ellis…this boss isn't your typical criminal. We've never seen his face…and everyone that goes after him…we end up finding…"

"Charred." Miss Frey said. "I had to talk my brother out of going the last time…thank God I did."

"Don't send men to do my job." Isaiah replied, loading his weapon. "You mentioned a guide?"

Mayor Parkman nodded, motioning for a young boy, roughly 12 years old, to step out from the shadows. "Daniel Lawrence…followed the last rescue party…managed to see where the bandits are hiding."

The young boy nodded. "I can ride sir…I won't be a burden."

Isaiah simply nodded, putting on his hand. "See that ya don't be." He motioned for the child to follow him. "We leave now…sooner this is done, the sooner I get to my next job." He walked over to his horse, patting him on the head. "Ain't that right, Jesse?"

"Jesse?" The boy asked.

"Problem with my horse's name?" Isaiah asked. "What would you name him?"

"I doubt know…Nick?"

Isaiah rolled his eyes. "Boy like you would like Nick over Jess, wouldn't ya D.L."

"D.L.?"

"Daniel Lawrence…" Isaiah began to explain. "Nevermind…" He leapt onto his horse. "Lead the way, kid."

&&&

Through a red tint, Isaiah stared at the tents that sat around the old well. It was many miles away from town, probably forgotten by the townfolk. A perfect spot for a camp. He zeroed in on several guards that stood watch at a large tent. 'Indians' He thought, shaking his head. 'And here I thought I could have some fun.'

"I can find it from here." Isaiah said simply, motioning for Daniel to stay put.

The boy frowned, confused. "But…we're not even close." He shook his head. "We still have to go 5 miles." He said, point left.

Isaiah felt the world pulling back, the camp zooming away as if it were on a runaway stagecoach, the land stretching out as the red faded away. Finally, Isaiah's vision returned to normal.

'Who needs a telescope.' He thought, glancing at Daniel. "I got it." He said, turning right.

"That's the wrong way!" Daniel shouted.

"No kid…it ain't."

&&&

Isaiah frowned as he leapt of Jesse, patting the horse's flank. "We've got company, boy…" He nodded towards the young woman that had emerged from one of the tents. She was dressed in a pair of men's pants and a workshirt, unusual for a female…though, Isaiah had seen stranger. 

Leaving his horse behind, Isaiah quickly used his telescopic vision to scan the area, searching for any hidden gunman. Not seeing a single one (and know that meant there couldn't be one), he kept his guns in hand but no aimed.

"Hello darlin'." He said smoothly, stepping towards the Indian girl.

"You have come about the doctor." The woman said.

Isaiah smiled. "Yea."

"He is still needed…the town may have him back when we are finished with him."

"That's good to hear." Isaiah said. "But I also need to see your boss…the Stormrider? I hear he is payin' bandits off to attack the town…not right."

The woman sighed. "You are wrong, sir. First, the bandits were merely to pay back the town for the crimes they committed against us." She licked her lips. "As for the Stormrider…there is no he to talk to."

"No he?" Isaiah asked.

"No…" The woman's eyes flashed, a bolt of lightning striking several feet from Isaiah. "I'm Stormrider." Isaiah merely raised his guns. "I will kill you before you can shoot me."

"Wasn't shooting at you." Isaiah said, eyes glowing as he took aim at a guard a half mile away. Stormrider's eyes grew wide as he fired, dropping the guard that had been running towards them. She regained her focus after that, sending down another lightning bolt. "Gonna have to do better then that!" He snapped, rolling away and firing at another guard. "This is between us, darlin'…call off the boys."

"Call off your own!" She snapped, summoning several bolts, the gunslinger just diving out of the way. 

Isaiah turned, cursing as he focused on Daniel, who was riding full gallop at them. "Damn boy!" He snarled. "Forgive me, horsie." He muttered, firing off a shot, killing Daniel's horse instantly and sending the boy tumbling to the ground, over a mile away.

"You are like me." Stormrider said, pausing to observe him. "Gifted."

"Damn straight." Isaiah shouted, firing off several shots at some more Indians that were just leaving the camp, before tackling Stormrider, pinning her to the ground. "But unlike you, I use my powers to help people!"

"Liar…you use yours for greed! I protect my people! You are a killer for hire!"

"What of the men from the town?" Isaiah questioned. "The ones you cooked like bad steak?"

Stormrider glared at him. "I did that to protect my people…to keep the doctor here! People like them force me to kill."

"And people like you force me!" Isaiah shouted, holding her still. "Give up, darlin'…I got ya trapped."

Thunder cracked.

"You fight for the wrong side!"

"Explain to me why kidnapping a doctor is justified?" Isaiah challenged.

"You'd never understand!" She shouted.

"No one ever understands another's view if that person is too pigheaded to talk!" Isaiah shouted. "Now…give up. I got ya pinned…no escape."

Stormrider closed her eyes. "No, gunman…you can't escape."

And with that, summoned her strongest lightning strike.

Isaiah screamed in agony as the bolt hit him, searing his flesh and causing his hair to stand on end. His eyes spun back as he screamed in pain, twitching as his muscles were cooked from the inside. His body quivered several times, mostly from reflex, Stormrider watching him in pity as he let out a final gasp…then collapsed on her.

After a moment, Stormrider shoved him off, catching her breath. Isaiah was out cold, his back badly burned, nerves shot. But he was alive…and would be for several hours…dying a slow, painful death.

She removed his gun, which had survived the bolt, and aimed it at his head. "I grant you mercy."

A hand reached out and stopped her.

"Don't." Daniel said sternly.

Stormrider sighed. "Go back to town, child…don't watch this."

"You do this, and you doom yourself and your family." He said sternly, voice grave.

"Your hero is dead." She moved to shove him away…

…only to watch as the boy rapidly grew into a man.

Daniel punched her, hard in gut, taking the gun and aiming it at her. He torn the ruined shirt from his body, his pants barely holding on. "You are not the only one with gifts." He snapped.

"What do you want?" She asked, shocked.

Daniel nodded towards the tents. "If you kill him, the town will hire more gunslingers…ones without honor. Isaiah could have killed you dead the moment he saw you…he only attacked your men because they came with guns…he wanted a fair fight. The town will form a posse…and they will burn your camp, rape your women and beat your children to death."

"And for that…I should let this man live?"

"More then that." Daniel said. "Look at his back." Stormrider did so, gasping as what she saw. Burning into his duster was a strange white symbol, an S with extra arms. "It has been burnt into his skin too. It is the mark of heroes…in Japan it means Great Talent…Godsend. But it also will be the symbol of a new house…the House of Ellis." He looked back as the Indian woman. "In your tribe…you have women that claim to read signs of the future? Well…I have a friend that can do just that." Daniel locked eyes with her. "In a vision…he saw you and Isaiah together…he saw the two of you helping your people leave this place and return to where they belong. He saw the team you would be…and…"

"And?" Stormrider whispered. "And what? Tell me what he saw."

"Your child." Daniel whispered. "He saw the babe that would be born to you…the daughter of the Stormrider and the Gunslinger…the first Heir of Isaiah." He glanced down at Isaiah's dying form. "But that child now is less then dust in the wind."

When he looked up, Stormrider was already hurrying to the camp to get help.

&&&

"I think he's coming around."

Isaiah groaned, his breathing labored due to the tight cloth wrapped around his torso. Shifting, he nearly screamed as his burns rubbed up against the scratchy tarp that made his bed.

"Stay still." Stormrider whispered, stroking his hair. For 5 days she had sat by his bed, praying to the gods he would pull through. She had watched his face, guessing what features their daughter would have.

Isaiah gulped. "Water…"

"Of course." The doctor said, handing him a glass. "You scared us for a while."

Isaiah groaned. "Doc?"

The doctor smiled. "The town must have sent for you…we really need a name for you."

"Return the favor first, Doc. Town only told me to save the medical man."

The doctor adjusted his horn-rimmed glasses. "Of course…where are my manners. I am Dr. Jonah Bennet."

"Isaiah Ellis." The gunslinger said, glancing at Stormrider. "Hello buttercup."

Stormrider smiled shyly. "I am sorry…about before…"

"Like to see what you do for payin' me back." Isaiah muttered, Doc Bennet helping him up. He glanced around the tent, nearly losing his voice.

All around him were injured Indians. Some with deep gashes, others missing limbs, still more merely bedbound, sick and weak. Isaiah felt dizzy, Stormrider helping him lay back down.

"The doc…this is why…"

"There was an accident." Jonah said. "They were working for the railroad…train blew up. Some of their men went to the town, seeking aid. I wanted to help them, but the mayor refused. Said they needed me there…like that would do any good. The only thing I've been doing is courting Miss Crow, the school teacher. There hasn't been a sick person in months."

"I came to Dr. Bennet's home 3 months ago, begging for help. He agreed to do what he could…for free."

"I left a note…they must have thought I was forced." Bennet muttered.

Isaiah looked over at Stormrider. "I told ya…I'd understand if ya told me." He coughed. "My horse?"

"We have him. He has been taken care of."

Isaiah nodded. "I'll send him with a note…tell the Mayor I was injured killing you." He raised his hand to stop her from speaking. "I'll tell him I'll send the Doc back once I'm healed…but till then, they need to put my money on my horse."

Jonah shook his head. "I am still needed. These men will need years to recover…"

"And with the money the town owes me, I can buy them another doctor…one from a town that doesn't send gunmen off to save him." He managed a smile as Stormrider. "I figure…I might try the "protectin' others" thing for a while."

Stormrider beamed.

&&&

"Was it truly necessary?" Daniel asked, watching the camp from the distance.

His father nodded. "The explosion got them together…"

Daniel frowned. "All this for revenge."

The other men glared at him. "I have waited years, plotting revenge on the man that took everything from me. Now…now we know of this vision…of the children to come."

"Indeed." Daniel said. "The descendents of Isaiah and Stormrider will be the most powerful of any of us."

His father grinned, remembering the seer's words. "One of their house will kill the girl my enemy will love. The Hunter…he will be a perfect weapon." He rubbed his hands together. "I have waited years…now all falls into place. Soon…Hiro will pay." And with that, the man known once as Takezo Kensei strolled away, confident in his belief that Isaiah and Stormrider would be little more then pawns to create the first piece in his revenge.

But as he walked away, his son Daniel frowned. 'If only you knew what the seer told me, father.' Daniel held no love for his father. While he had grown up, knowledgeable of the world, and seen the good man could do, his father saw only darkness and hate. He glanced back at the tent. 'Yes…a hunter will be born. But by my hand, I will bring about his opposite…' He thought back to the seer's words.

"Isaiah and Stormrider will have several children…but one matters only to you. Their first born, a daughter, is the one you will seek. The child you produce with her will father Isaiah's Heir…the one destined to unite us all.'

'Father…you think only of destruction and revenge. It is for this reason you know not of The Alliance. Fool…you do not realize that I gather the greatest heroes to my side, preparing to destroy you. And with my grandson leading us, we will start the new age…and you and your dark path will finally be ended.' Daniel spurred his horse. "Take care of yourself, Isaiah." Daniel said softly.

"Reincarnation exists…but not how we think…for we live on…through our children."

-Krishna Suresh

"Your family…has a world of work ahead of them."

&&&

Author's Note: Yes, Daniel is the old man that is currently talking with Carter.

For those not understanding Daniel's power, he can age himself at will. Thus, he is immortal, as he never ages himself to the point of death. He also must adopt a new identity every 40 years, to hide the truth. He can be shot though, so his immortality isn't ensured.

Cast for this chapter (using character names instead of actor names):

Michael Petrelli-Nathan Petrelli

Sonny Petrelli-Peter Petrelii

Miguel Mendez-Isaac Mendez

Mayor Parkman- Matt Parkmen

Jonah Bennet- Noah Bennet

Isaiah Ellis-Carter Daniels

I chose to use the name Krishna for Mohinder's ancestor because it is the name of the god that guides the hero Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita, much as Mohinder's comments have guided the show. And yes…once again…another religious hint is revealed.

Isaiah's arrival has a double meaning as Miguel states: Isaiah is first seen as the head rider of the damned cowboys spoken of in the song "Ghost Riders in the Sky". But he is also seen as the fourth horsemen…Death. The quote Miguel uses is not the real quote from the bible, but is the most famous version, a poetic version of Death's arrival.

Jonah was chosen due to another biblical wink, but this one isn't my fault! They named Mr. Bennet Noah, the gatherer. So I made his ancestor Jonah…the one swallowed into the belly of the beast, in this case, Stormrider's camp. Had they named Noah something like Lesley…none of that would have happened.


	32. Means & Motive

Carter shook his head, trying to wrap his mind around the story the old man, Daniel, had just told him. "So that makes you…what…my grandfather?"

"Actually, yes." Daniel said. "You…sound unsure."

"Not really." He muttered. "Lets do the math here: I have a half sister that can heal herself, a mother that can control fire, and a father that is a charmer…none of whom I've actually met. The family I have met include a dead half sister, you, and a homicidal half brother…"

"Terrence." Daniel muttered. "One of my least favorite grandchildren." He paused. "You're my favorite."

"I'll look for my birthday check in the mail." Carter muttered. "And now I learn that my family tree is nothing more then a breeding pattern to produce…me."

Daniel shrugged, not disagreeing. "You believe you can do the things you do…ignoring the powers for a moment…simply because?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you how I learned."

"That's besides the point. I am talking natural talent. You can lead people, Carter, like the best of generals. You see something and never forget; photographic memory. You heal…not "super" as Claire or my father…but you get back up faster then most, none-the-less." Daniel looked at him carefully. "You were born to be this, Carter. To be the one that unites us, to defeat those that wish to use their powers for evil."

Carter frowned, eyes narrowing. "I am not some…genetic Messiah."

"Of course not. You're the Metatron." Daniel said softly. "God's Voice on Earth…" He closed his eyes, smiling slightly. "But your daughter…she will surpass you…faster, stronger…like the bionic woman. And when she learns to control her powers…"

Carter's hand snapped out, throttling the old man, eyes blazing with energy. "Don't." He snarled. "Vally is off limits." He tossed the man aside. "I'm going to go help the girls, _grandpa_." He said sarcastically.

Daniel coughed, watching as Carter walked away. "We've been watching her…you think all she can do is sense powers? She is an alpha, Carter. When she learns her true power…"

"I'll be right there." Carter called out as he left. "To make sure people like you never harm her."

"There is a traitor in your group!"

Carter froze.

"One of your so called allies…they are working for my enemies…the Delpines."

Carter slowly turned back. "Hank…"

"Escaped a few months before they brought him in. You are not the only one with a legacy, Carter. Hank Delpine is one of the last Delpines…and the other…is Lee."

&&&

"Lee?" Ashleigh frowned, one of her clones slowly circling him, taking in every inch. "It is you…you have my nose."

"Lee?" Galatea questioned, confused. "Who…who is this woman?"

Lee continued to stare at the face he thought he would never see again. "She…she looks like mom…I…I think she is…in a way."

Ashleigh smirked. "I always knew you had my intelligence." She returned to BeeBee and Riker, motioning for them to stand down yet stay on guard. "In a way…I guess I am your mother."

"A clone." Tina said, glancing at the Drone Ashleighs that surrounded this one.

"Not quite." Ashleigh said. "We are all part of the same form…just splintered off." She felt no need to explain that technically, the true Ashleigh was still at the Delpine Estate in Grand Blanc, and that she herself was nothing more then a General Clone: Able to think and command, but focused on her completing her mission…not independent like the Doppelganger Clones.

Lee glared at her. "My mother was one of you…a splinter Ashleigh that escaped."

"That she was." Ashleigh admitted. "And now…here you are. Her child…" The General Clone paused, thinking carefully, trying to dredge up the information. "Her last thoughts were of you…"

The artist put two and two together. "You're the reason she died."

"No…we all must return as one…of we fade away, made to dust. You mother thought she could escape…"

"You bitch." Lee snarled, holding up his had and calling back his locust. "You took her from me! Left me with my father…let him torture me…all because you and your clones couldn't just let her live!"

"She had no life outside of us." Ashleigh stated. "Not even you could prevent her from returning in death."

BeeBee chuckled. "How does it feel to know you shouldn't exist, kid?"

Tina held up a hand, acid pooling in her hand. She herself, having grown up without a father, understood the pain Lee was going through. "Want me to melt the wicked witch of the east?"

"No…take the other bitch and her boy…"

"We've been trying…doesn't work well…" Galatea muttered.

"…I got mommy." Lee finished, before sending his locust at Ashleigh, the clones swarming towards him in response.

"Great, same ol' same ol'!" Tina quipped as she sent her acid at BeeBee, the reflector merely sending it back.

"I hate to admit it…but we really need Carter!"

&&&

Carter frowned. "You think Lee is the traitor?"

"I never said that." Daniel replied simply. "I…do not know the traitor." He rubbed his chin. "All I know is Hank's father received a call from the casino you are staying in…"

"Hank's dad?"

"A man named Merrick Delpine…a dangerous man, even by Delpine standards." Daniel licked his lips. "The others are power hungry, yes. But Merrick…he is deranged. He was the one that convinced Hank to attack you so often. Your friend listened to his father's words and took them to heart…" Daniel managed to smile. "Hank going with you to Philly…was the first of your many miracles, my boy. You have put him on a better path…and perhaps, will redeem the Delpines."

"So…Merrick was talking to someone…that could be Lee?" Carter questioned.

"Perhaps. But Carter…the company you keep is not a good one. Tina is the daughter of Linderman…can you trust her hatred of him? Galatea is a clone of a woman named Niki…a murderer who has already taken many lives. Sergei…his father was a Russian enforcer for the mob back in Moscow. And then there is Madrid…"

"Vally is her sister…"

"Her birth mother." Daniel corrected. "Yes. But did you know that up until her parents died…Madrid barely saw the girl? That she had hated Vally?"

"Liar." Carter snapped, even as Daniel pulled out a cassette recorder.

"That little brat…everyone coos at her and says how cute she is. Mom and dad never spent as much time with me my whole life as they have with their precious Vally…god, I hate her so much!"

Carter turned his head away, grimacing. "People changed. Hank…you just pointed him out."

"That I did." Daniel conceded. "But…watch yourself, my boy…and your child. Like those before her…she will be betrayed by one close to her."

"I'll keep that in mind…now, if you'll excuse me, I have to save the so called betrayers before their killed by whoever is attacking them and they can't do any betraying at all."

&&&

"Hello there," Linda said politely, glancing at nameplate on the desk. "Joyce. I'm here to see the superintendent."

The secretary frowned. "Do you have an appointment."

"Sorry." Kelly muttered. "She was too pissed to make one."

The woman shook her head. "No one gets in without an appointment."

"Then I'll make one…for right now." Linda said, frustrated.

"Sorry, Mr. Reynolds isn't in."

"She's lying." Kelly said, Linda turning to glance at her. "Please don't ask me how I know that…or how I know there is a vending machine 20 feet to the right."

"I know how." Linda said, breezing past the protesting woman and making her way into the office. Mr. Reynolds looked up from the PSP he was playing, glaring at the intruders. "Don't mind us…we're the repo girls."

"We are?" Kelly asked.

"Who are you people?" Mr. Reynolds demanded.

Linda shrugged. "I'm a professor…looking for a job, considering my college probably has fired me for going missing."

"Wait…your that teacher…" Reynolds said,standing up, "the one that ran away with her student."

Kelly raised an eyebrow. "Well…normally I don't like older women…"

"Not you…the boy…Carter…"

Linda frowned. "Carter is my student, nothing more." She leaned towards the superintendent. "I'm here for another reason; seems we have a mutual acquaintance…does the name Micah mean anything to you?" Reynolds looked up, startled. "That so. You know…I find it real interesting when a person who is _suppose_ to be about education…is nothing more then an extortionist."

"This is about the money."

"Ya think so?" Kelly said, moving towards the door and ripping it open. "Attention students…your superintendent can state the obvious!"

"Hey!" Mr. Reynolds shouted, moving to get up, only to be stopped by Linda. "Listen…I'll tell you what I told the kid's mother: That was a donation. It didn't mean anything towards getting Micah in…or out."

"And I'm sure you've covered your tracks pretty well." Linda said coldly. "Used the money already?"

"Yes…it was used to renovate my office, if you must know." He smirked. "Make it more inviting to the children."

Linda shrugged. "Then there is nothing else to talk about. Kelly…lets leave the man." Turning on heel, the two women let the office, Reynolds staring after them, bemused.

"Bitch." He muttered, returning to his game.

ERRRRRRRRRR

Reynolds barely had time to look down before the pipes below him burst, sending torrents of sewage water into his office. The pipes in the walls also burst, flooding the office and destroying everything in sight.

"SIR!" His secretary cried out, phone lines ringing off the hook as the water pipes beneath the waiting room floor exploded. "We have water bursts in every room of the school! We have to evacuate!"

Reynolds looked at his office, dumbfounded as sewage continued to pour onto him, the screams of teachers and students echoing all around him.

&&&

Lee wiped the blood from his mouth, his steps unsteady as he swung a punch at General Ashleigh, the older woman moving her head away with ease. He panted, glancing around him for a moment.

Tina was on the ground, clutching her stomach. Her acid didn't burn her skin, but it did eat through her clothing, leaving her in a shredded t-shirt, hole-filled pants and shoes that were falling apart. BeeBee had proved she was just as skilled at fighting as she was with deflecting, having broken several of Tina's ribs with just a few punches. The only thing that had kept Tina alive was to pour on the acid, forcing BeeBee to remain still so she could reflect the attacks, the entire floor slowly melting away.

Galatea was out cold. Riker had gone after her throat once again, strangling the very air from her body, leaving her body unresponsive as he took his time beating her unconscious form with the office chair he had found.

"That's what bitches like you deserve!" He shouted, laughing as he smashed it over her head, making her head bounce against the hard marble floor, blood pooling all around her.

"Galatea!" Lee roared, struggling to send his locust at Riker. The clones were preventing it, forming a wall all around him, not letting anything through. In the middle, with him, was the General, outclassing him with her skill at hand-to-hand combat.

"You are our son…but that does not mean you gained all we have to offer. Your father's weak blood flows through your body."

Lee glared at her, reaching into his pocket and summoning a small demonic puppy he'd drawn. The beast yipped, jaws locking onto the General's ankle, causing her to scream and stomp its head in. "I'm full of surprises."

"Not enough." The General said, spin-kicking Lee in the head, the clones moving away so that he flew to the ground next to Tina and Galatea. "Now…we'll take the files." She walked towards the vault. "And unfortunately for you…we can not allow any witnesses…my son."

Lee looked up, eyes narrowing before he smirked. "Then you have serious problems…right Carter?"

Ashleigh turned in time to see Carter burst into flames, silver energy dancing along his skin. "Yes Lee…I would say so."

The General's eyes widened. "The Heir…you died!"

"And I returned." Carter said simply, approaching them. "Behold the Metatron…Voice of the One True God."

"Behold this, firefly!" Riker shouted, sending an elongating arm right at Carter. The Metatron dodged it, gripping the appendage and turning to Tina, nodding. She grinned, firing off her acid blast, Riker's screams filling the office as his hand was hit, skin and muscle burning away.

"You have dared to strike me…for that…you will be judged." He looked at Riker. "The loss of your hand…will be your punishment." He slowly made his way to BeeBee, tilting his head.

"Carter!" Tina shouted. "She…can reflect physical strikes."

He nodded, punching a clone as it got near him, the energy from his fist causing her to grip her head in agony before she turned to dust. "Interesting."

BeeBee nodded. "Mmm…a big glowing freak…and you think you've met God? This will be fun." Carter just continued towards her, grabbing a clone and sending it at BeeBee, the two stopping before the clone was sent flying, crashing into the General. BeeBee licked her lips, smile falling slightly. "And here I thought you would be talkative…voice of god and all." She mocked.

Carter stopped, staring at her, before he began to circle her, stepping over Riker's body, the other killer-for-hire in agony as he looked at the stump where his hand had been. His eyes flashed, but he summoned no whammy blasts…launched no attacks.

"Ugh…" Galatea moaned, coming to. "Lee?"

Lee scooted over to her, helping her up, surprising her by his gentleness. "I don't know what is going on…but stay down…I think its going to be bad."

"Should we help?"

"We loosened the jar…let Carter take off the lid."

BeeBee tapped her foot. "Hello…woman trying to kill you here…no final words?" She huffed in annoyance at Metatron's silent treatment.

"You're broken." Carter said, his voice…not sounding like his own. It was detached, as if taken from someone else and dubbed to his lips.

"What?" BeeBee asked, confused.

"It's all clear now…how it all works…pieces fitting together." He cocked his head. "Its all in the brain." He held out a hand, energy swirling violently. "Don't worry…I can fix it." He took a step closer, BeeBee tensing for the punch. "It's an evolutionary imperative."

He fired

&&&

"Shouldn't Kelly and Linda be back from…whatever it is they were doing?"

"Don't worry about them…Hank…sit down." Paulette said softly, motioning towards the chair near her. "I want to talk to you about something."

"What's that?" Hank asked, gliding into his seat.

Paulette reached out, taking Hank's hand in her own. "It's not His fault."

"Whose…what?"

"God…its not his fault…what happened to your friend…"

Hank moved to stand up. "Listen…"

"Sit down."

"I don't feel like talking…"

"Sit your white ass down, honky." Paulette hissed, Hank quickly moving back to his seat. "Now, I know right now you feel like God abandoned you. I know you feel like he should have never taken your friend." She gave him a slight smile. "But have you ever considered that God had a reason for all this?"

"What…going to give me some bull about this making me stronger?" Hank snapped. "Carter was a good man…a…a good friend. When I finally realized it…"

Paulette frowned. "Sweetheart…what makes you think I was going to say that?" At Hank's confused look, she continued. "I want you to think…you said Carter was a good friend, but also a great man…why?"

"He…he helped us rise above what we were…to become something better. He was a leader…a hero."

Paulette nodded, wishing she could have met this Carter. "Don't you think…in a world as screwed up as ours…that God might have decided he needed an angel on his side like Carter?" She smiled, squeezing his hand. "We can not guess what God has planned."

"My hump, my hump, my hump…my lovely lady lumps…my lovelylady lumps…"

Hank quickly grabbed the cell phone. "Kelly's…sick sense of humor." He muttered, turning on the phone. "Hello?"

"Hank…" Helena said. "I finally reached you…it's a miracle."

"What…"

"Carter's alive."

&&&

Ashleigh stood up, groaning. Her mind was still fuzzy. Carter had fired his blast at BeeBee, sending her down to the ground twitching, then let out a blast of light at her and the drones, knocking them out. When she came to, Carter, Lee, Galatea and Tina were gone, the vault destroyed and files turned to mush.

"Damn it…" She muttered, reaching for her cellphone and hitting in a number. "Merrick…get transport to Linderman's hotel…the files are destroyed and we need medical attention."

"Already there, little sister." Merrick said with a sneer. "I'll pick you up."

"Why are you in Vegas?!? Father said to stay home!"

"I came because I knew I would need to clean up your mess."

As they argued, Riker nudged BeeBee with his foot, the woman awakening with a groan. "Wha…"

"Get the hell up…" Riker snarled. "And find something to kill this pain…booze or pills…whatever…"

"Riker…what…" BeeBee muttered, dazed.

"Go get me something, now!" He screamed.

BeeBee nodded, rubbing her head as she left the office. But instead of looking for something for him, she went to the elevator, staring at her reflection, hand touching the metal as it all came flying back.

She was on the street, trying to make some money…her family needed the cash, and her body was the only thing she could offer. It paid good…would allow them to afford food for the next week…

_A new john wanted her services…she let him…he got mad…struck her… hit her head…_

_Everything changed. Anger…hate…a craving for violence…years in the darkness…cursed by God to reflect all but the most gentle of touches…Riker…training her…using her…making her like him…blood…so much blood…so many screams…not caring, never caring, insects to her…_

_Then…an angel…his flaming hand touching her head…his voice…telling her she was broken…his caress fixing the chemical imbalance in her brain, undoing the destruction that strike from the john had done…_

The woman once known as BeeBee fell to the ground and began to sob, in pain for what had been taken from her…and in joy that this miracle had been given to her.

BeeBee was dead.

Biddy Bargo…had finally woken up.

&&&

Sergei, Madrid and Vally looked up as the hotel door swung open, Tina limping in as she leaned on Lee's shoulder, Galatea on his other side.

"Dear God…" Madrid said, running over to Tina, helping her friend to the bed. "What happened?"

"Apparently Lee has mommy issues…" She muttered. "I could do a paper on his screwed up family."

Lee nodded, setting Galatea down. "Long story."

Sergei shrugged. "We are open ears."

Galatea moaned. "Short answer…we'd be dead without Carter."

"Carter?" Madrid asked as the man entered the room.

Vally's eyes lit up. She had been so scared when he hadn't returned…afraid he was hurt…or worse. Her little legs pumped as she dashed to him, leaping into his outstretched arms. "DADDY!"

Time froze.

Carter's eyes widened. Lee dropped the glass he had been grabbing. Sergei raised an eyebrow. Vally clasped her hands over her mouth, as if trying to draw the words back in.

"Daddy?" Lee asked, confused.

"Daddy?" Galatea asked, wrinkling her nose.

"Daddy." Tina said, knowing the truth already and being glad it was out.

"Daddy." Sergei said snidely, glancing at Madrid.

"DADDY!?!?" Madrid screamed in rage.

Vally looked up at Carter, burying her head in his shoulder, whimpering softly. "sowwy."

&&&

Author's Note: Vally's last line isn't half as cute if you don't hear it in Vally's voice. And considering that I always hear Vally's voice when I write her lines, I have no idea if it plays as well as it does in my head.


	33. Denoucement

Carter stroked Vally's hair, trying to comfort the little girl. She was crying now, the anger in the room palpable and bringing her nothing but dread. Her father's strong arms offers only a small shield against the onslaught that she, even being as young and innocent as she was, knew would come.

It was finally Galatea that spoke.

"So…you and Madrid's mom, huh?"

Carter stared at her, utterly confused. "What the…"

Madrid snapped out of whatever spell had frozen her, stomping forward and grabbing Vally. "Let go of her, you sick freak!"

"NO!" Vally wailed, reaching out as Madrid tore her away. "Daddy!"

"I told you he was getting to close to her…" Sergei glared at Carter, disgusted at his mere presence. "What games did you teach her? Play House…Mommy/Daddy time."

Carter's face twisted in horror. "What the hell do you think I am?"

"Pedaphile, monster, child molester…want me to continue."

Tina frowned. "Watch it!" She snapped. "You don't know anything."

"I know he shouldn't be near her again." Sergei replied with utter conviction. He raised his hand, barbs slowly sticking out. "I should put you down."

"NO!" Vally screamed again, rushing over and kicking Sergei in the ankle. "No hurt daddy!"

"Would someone please tell me what the hell is going on?" Lee demanded.

Galatea shrugged. "As far as I can figure, Carter and Madrid's mom did the cha cha under the sheets."

"Galatea…" Tina said, patting her shoulder, "not helping."

"I didn't sleep with Madrid's mother!" Carter snapped. "Jesus…I'm a freakin' virgin…"

The rest of the group paused, looking at Carter, who grit his teeth. "Well…" Lee finally said, "no one would say that and be lying."

Madrid stood up, holding a wiggling, squirming Vally in her arms. "Then what…you really are a pedaphile?"

"NO!" Carter roared, eyes flashes. "I would never touch a child like that…let alone my own daughter."

"How can you have a daughter and be a virgin?" Lee asked. He snapped his fingers. "Did Madrid's mother and a toilet seat…"

Galatea slapped Lee across the head.

Carter shook his head. "You wouldn't believe me if I explained."

"Try me." Madrid snarled.

The young man looked towards the ceiling. "Tina's father…Linderman…he had my mother gather some of my genetic material…he was working on producing new, advanced children."

"Why you?" Lee questioned. "I mean…I know you're powerful…"

Carter took a deep breath. "Apparently…I'm some sort of chosen one…"

"Like Anakin Skywalker? Because…no offense, but we saw how it went for him." Lee replied.

Sergei pounced, his skills as a trial lawyer finally put to good use. "Yes…a chosen one…we have heard you proclaim to be the Voice of God. Tell me, Mr. Daniels, does God often speak to you? Does he command you to do things…to show little children his "glory"?"

"I-didn't-touch-Vally." Carter ground out. "And second, God has no gender. Besides, I never met him/her."

Sergei began to pace. "Oh…then how exactly are you the Voice of God."

"You know about…my death…"

Sergei rolled his eyes. "Yes…your mysterious return to the living world."

Lee was getting a chaffed by Sergei's comments. "Hey, Boris…" he grabbed one of his drawings, summoning a locust. "I can make things come alive…you fire blood out of your hands like needles. Is resurrection that crazy?"

Sergei waved him off. "There is a difference between the fantastic and the impossible. We all have witnessed these powers…only the 'Metatron' here has had the sudden religious experience that has him judging people and acting like some angel descended to earth."

Carter took a step forward. "Funny…I thought you were concerned with me hurting Vally…sounds more like you got a problem with me…"

"Maybe I do…and it stems from you convincing that little girl you're her father, so you can do who knows to her…scar her for life…"

Madrid wrapped her arms around Vally, holding her closer. "I think you need to leave, Carter…I don't want you any where near my sister."

Vally shook her head. "Daddy…" she whimpered.

"I'm going no where." Carter said sternly. "Least of all with you people near my daughter."

"She isn't your daughter…" Madrid snapped.

"What do you mean, 'you people'?" Galatea questioned, Jessica rearing to be let out.

Carter looked at each of them in turn. "I had a talk with my grandfather while you three…" he motioned at Lee, Galatea and Tina, "…dealt with Lee's clone mom and the killer twins."

Sergei scoffed. "Wonderful…more family. Atleast tell me this man is alive and not an angelic messenger."

"Or like Terrence." Galatea added.

"Neither. He did inform me, however, that one of you has been in contact with another one of Lee's relatives." That got their attention. Carter held up his hand, trying to get them to quiet down as they all demanded he talk. "I don't know who…neither does my grandfather. All he knows is that each of you has a motive for betraying me and Vally…" He locked eyes with Madrid. "Even you."

"Me?" Madrid scoffed. "She's my sister…I might betray you, but here…"

"Lets just say I heard an interesting conversation between you and some friends…involving Vally's need only to coo to get attention…"

Madrid paled, remembering all to clearly how she had felt when her parents had brought the little attention stealer home from the hospital. Desperate to get the attention off of her, Madrid went with the only topic to pull their eyes and thoughts from her. "And again with you and Vally…you are not her father!"

Carter was about to snap at her, make a comment about he pitching tired old comments, when he noticed something…something he needed to point out. "Tina." The psychiatrist jumped slightly. "You haven't said a word…" Realization dawned on him. "Linderman was the one that arranged for Valencia's birth…you knew." He took a step closer. "didn't you?"

Tina locked eyes with Madrid, who was staring at her in shock. "I…I didn't know how to tell you…how to explain…" She glanced up at Carter. "We need to tell her the rest."

"Rest…what rest?" Madrid demanded, turning towards one then the other. "What is going on."

"It's…it's about Vally's mother." Carter said softly.

"What…now going to convince me you slept with my mom?" Madrid said snidely, Sergei nodding and lending his support.

"Your mother is not Vally's mother." Carter answered.

"Wait…so Madrid isn't related to Vally?" Lee asked.

"Not quite…" Carter said nervously.

"What do you…"

"You're her mother…Madrid." Tina said, cutting to the chase. "My father used eggs he took from you when you went in for surgery, fertilized them with Carter's semen and made your mother a surrogate."

Vally's eyes widened. "Maddy's my mama?"

Madrid felt like slapped Tina. "Don't you dare fill her head with those lies." She glared at Carter. "You buy her off to pretend all of this is true?"

"Madrid…" Carter began.

"Maddy…no wanna be my mama?" Vally asked, bottom lip quivering.

Madrid sighed "Vally…just…go to the other room." She motioned towards the door that contacted their hotel rooms.

Vally began to cry, wiggling as hard as she could, trying to escape. "Maddy…hate…me!" She wailed.

Normally, Madrid would have taken the time to comfort her daughter, reassured her that she did love her and that if the tales Carter were telling were true, of course she would love to be her mother. But her rage…rage at the situation, rage at the people in the room, rage that she had been left with a bratty toddler and no money all because of her parents' need to help others…caused her to focus inward.

"Vally…go." She said sternly.

To her surprise, Vally stomped her foot down."No!" Vally screamed. "Want daddy!"

"He isn't your daddy!"

"Yes he is!" She said stubbornly.

Madrid locked eyes with her. "No he isn't…" She grabbed her shoulders. "Now you listen to me…you will do what I say, right now."

"No. No listen to you." Vally said stubbornly.

"Vally…" Carter said, his tone brokering no argument. "Go in the other room…watch Darkwing Duck with special bear."

Vally complied instantly, heading to the door, snatching the bear from the bed. Madrid was utterly floored. "Why are you listening to him and not me?" She demanded.

The toddler turned to glare at Madrid. "He-the-daddy…you-just-Maddy." She said as if she were the adult and Madrid the child. She closed the door, leaving the adults to argue.

"Someone is cranky." Lee muttered.

"Dora the Explorer is pissed." Galatea said with a chuckle, sharing her first honest-to-goodness laugh with Lee since Philly. The artist noticed this, and couldn't help but smile back. Maybe…just maybe…he could learn to like this new Galatea.

Sergei crossed his arms, glaring at Tina as she moved towards Carter. "Your father kidnapped each of us…personally tortured me…I am not surprised that you would side with this pervert."

"How about we not throw names around, Sergei." Lee said, focus pulled from Galatea.

Carter nodded. "or do I need to tell the class about your dear ol' dad." Sergei paled. "The sins of the father don't pass to the son…remember that."

Madrid stepped closer to Carter, pointing a finger at him. "I want you leave…now. I don't want you near my sister…and you better pray to the being you're the supposed voice of that I don't rip your tongue out if you say one more word about you being her father or me her mother." She whirled on Tina. "And you…nice to know who myfriends are…Judas."

Tina's face cracked eyes growing watery. "Madrid…"

"You lie to me…pose as my friend…you disgust me…both of you."

Carter grabbed Tina by the shoulder. "We'll go for a walk…let everyone cool off…then answer any questions you have."

Sergei nodded. "Perhaps that would be wise…give you chance to prepare your defense."

"And your prosecution." Tina said snidely, disliking the man that had taken over her role as Madrid's best friend.

"enough." Carter demanded, turning to Lee and Galatea. "…watch out for them while we're gone…there's still a traitor in the group…be careful." Carter made towards the door, arm wrapped around Tina, but turned to lock eyes with the artist. "And Lee…I forgive you…for everything."

Lee nodded slightly, startled by Carter's raw words. "Yea…me too." He finally admitted, the door shutting with a clasp.

The room was silent as each worked through their emotions, trying to figure out exactly how they were suppose to react to this development. Only Madrid was sure, still raging at the man that had wormed his way into Valencia's heart.

"Did…anyone think that sounded less like a 'see ya' and more like a 'goodbye'?" Galatea finally asked.

Lee had been pondering something else. "Since when has Darkwing Duck been on the air?" The others turned to glare at him. "What…I like the cartoon…use to watch it back when I was in high school."

The comment dropped like a lead balloon.

"Vally…" Madrid said with a shudder, darting to the connector door and ripping it open. "Vally?" She called out, looking at the still running television.

"A code word…genius." Sergei muttered, noticing Vally's backpack was gone.

"Vally…" Madrid cried out in a panic, tearing open the door and looking up and down the hallway. "VALLY!"

&&&

"Did you see their faces when the pipe burst?" Linda asked gleefully.

"You are enjoying this waaaaay too much." Kelly muttered, the two of them heading back to Paulette's house.

Linda shrugged. "I enjoy dealing with idiots like that…putting my power to good use."

"A professor shutting down a school…no wonder your students love you."

Linda was about to retort when a car pulled up, Hank popping his head out the window. "Hey…come on…we need to go!"

"What?" Both asked.

"Get in!" Marshal snarled, opening the back door and getting them seated. "Major news."

"How major."

"Real major." Hank said. "Carter's alive."

The girls fell silent.

"HOW?"

"WHAT?"

"ARE YOU SURE?"

"I DON'T UNDERSTAND!"

"IS THIS A JOKE?"

"QUIET!" Helena screamed. Once the girls were silent, she began to speak. "I don't know how or why…all I know is a few hours after he was put in the morgue, my son killed 50 guards and escaped with Tina Linderman, Madrid and Valencia Alverez, some guy named Sergei, Marshal's sparring partener Galatea, and Lee Malion."

"Lee…" Kelly questioned. "The guy that made the clones…"

"The guy who killed Carter?" Linda exclaimed.

Marshal frowned. "We know as little as you…except that Carter is Las Vegas…along with his dau…"

'_Live and let die…live and let die….live and let die…'_

Helena answered her cellphone. "Hello?"

"Mrs. Helena Daniels?"

"Yes…who is this."

"Listen to me carefully…I have been watching you and your son for many days…and I can not stay quiet a moment longer. The Metatron is in grave danger."

"Who is this?" Helena demanded. "What do you mean, danger?"

"My name is Hana Gittlemen…and if you do not do as I say, your son will be dead within the hour."

&&&

"Where we goin'?" Vally asked, peering at her father as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Someplace…fun." Carter lied.

"Is Maddy coming?" She asked softly.

"No…no she isn't princess." Carter admitted.

Vally nodded sadly. "I'm sowwy I yelled at her."

"I know you are." Carter said as he hurried out of the lobby. "She knows too. But Madrid needs time to deal with the fact that she's your mommy. That's why she was upset…I was upset when I found out…" At Vally's tears, he backpedaled. "Because I didn't know before…every mommy and daddy want to be their when their baby is born, and Madrid and I missed that. I was angry thinking about missing your first step, first words…I had a whole year to accept everything…and learn to enjoy what would come." He smiled. "That's why she sent Tina with us…Madrid told her to come to make sure you knew how much your mommy loves you."

Tina nodded, going along with the lie. "That's right shortround…we'll be like the 3 musketeers…and when your mommy is ready…we'll meet up with everyone again."

"Can we have a pawty? With cake and a pony and every not yelling?" Vally asked innocently.

Carter nodded, praying to God that the wishes of children would come true. 'Be a happier place if they did.' He thought as they made their way down a back alley.

"A party?" A woman's voice called out. "I like parties. Can I come Valencia?"

Carter and Tina turned around, each tensing as the woman stepped forward.

"Elle." Tina snarled, remembering the girl quite well from her days working with her father. She hated the bitch with a passion…Elle being one of the ones that had enjoyed torturing her. "Where's your partner…company policy states you get a regular to back you up."

"You warrant special tactics." A man said, stepping forward. Carter instantly tenses. "Two supers…no humans for you three."

"Terrence."

"Hello brother." Terrence said. "We're here for my niece."

"Over my dead body."

Elle grinned as she summoned her blue lightning. "Goodie…I was hoping you'd say that."

&&&

Author's note: Originally, Tina was not going to come with Carter. But I realized while writing this, it makes no sense that Tina sides with Carter, then lets him get kicked out. The two of them would leave, taking Vally with them.

&&&

And now, Mr. Chaos presents to you the exclusive trailer for the brand new miniseries based on the world of Elsewhere.

(Screen fades to black, and we hear the twang of a guitar)

????: What would you do…?

(We see a man in a suit backing away in fright, a red glow illuminating from a wicker crib as a baby coos. The screen goes black)

????: If the world turned against you…

(The screen begins to lighten, revealing a red sun rising over the desert, a baby screams as a horse rides towards him, the child left to die)

????: If all you knew was made dirt…

(We see a priest lift the baby up, the child's red eyes glowing brightly as he howls. The screen goes black)

????: All you loved torn asunder…

(We fade in on a church, where a young boy with red eyes listens at the feet of the priest that saved him)

Born a monster…

(We see the young boy pulled out a hunting knife, throwing it and killing a fly that buzzed in the back of the church)

Raised an angel…

(We see the boy now a man, accepting a white collar from him)

Trained as a holy man…

(We see the man standing at the church door, staring out at something, eyes still glowing red)

Protected by God…

(We see the man place a flower on a dusty grave)

Baptized by Tragedy…

(We see the man removing the cross from his neck, picking up a gun)

Reborn by Vengeance

(We see the man kill another man, a town preacher cradling the dead body as the man coldly puts on his black cowboy hat.)

Preacher: Isaiah Ellis…you murderer!

(Screen goes to black)

Isaiah: What…would you do?

(We see Isaiah riding across the desert, a hanging posse on his heels, as Indian war drums beat steadily faster. We then see the man in the suit, older now, shocked when a lightning strike reveals Isaiah standing next to a portrait of himself as a newborn. The shot switches to Isaiah marching through a church, guns blazing)

From Mr. Chaos, creator of Elsewhere, The Son Becomes The Father, and GX: Hunters…

(We see Isaiah throwing a woman into a wall, a gun pressed to her head. Next, a shot of him crying as he drapes himself over a golden cross, blood coating his body. Finally, we see him surrounded by men, eyes blazing as he slowly reaches for his guns)

Comes a new vision of the past…

(We see Isaiah standing before the old church in the desert, the building in flames, eyes burning red)

Before you can become a myth…you must first become a legend

(The drums stop and we have a Close-up of Isaiah's eye as the screen goes red)

Shades of Yesterday: The Legend of Isaiah

The 7 Part Series

December 10, 2007


	34. Salavation Run

Carter handed Vally to Tina before he stepped forward, hands charging with energy. "Big talk, little girl."

Elle pouted. "Little…oh, trust me boy…I'm all grown up." She aimed her hand at him. "But if you want to play patty cake…lets."

"Fine by me." Carter said, rushing forward.

"Carter, wait!" Tina shouted a second to late. Carter slammed his hand into Elle's, the two screaming at their blasts strike. Elle gripped her head in agony, fighting off Carter's whammy, while the Metatron was held his arm, the nerves making it feel like the limb had been cut off.

"Daddy!" Vally cried out, struggling to free herself.

Carter shook his head violently. "I'm fine…" he looked up, watching as Terrence held up his hand, Elle instantly standing up straight. "…and so is she."

Terrence smirked, gloating. "Trick I thought I would try. I just told Elle's nerves to send more endorphins into her head, undoing your little trick." He focused, pointing his fingers at Tina. "3 against 2 is so unfair…"

Carter leapt in front of the psychologist, his whammy energy flaring like a shield as he blocked the attack. "Anything you can do, brother…"

"You do almost as well." Terrence replied, turning to Elle. "Take him out…I'll grab the girl."

"Tina, go." Carter snapped.

"What? No!" Tina shouted.

"Do it…Terrence can kill you in an instant. I'm the only one that can take him on." As if proving his point, Terrence sent another blast at Carter, the young man just managing to block it. "I need you to get Vally out of her, Tina. I can't be worrying about her!"

Tina frowned. "Elle will kill you Carter…she doesn't care about life or death."

"All the more reason to get Vally out of here! Now go!" He roared, body exploding with energy as he began towards Elle, Tina shivering as the need to flee filled her body, Carter's whammy energy taking effect. She turned heel, hurrying out of the alley as fast as she could. "**Take your best shot**." Carter snarled, moving towards Elle, voice distorting as he summoned his strongest whammy shot.

"Hit him with everything." Terrence warned. "Don't let him get that shot off!"

"NO!" Vally screamed as Tina turned the corner, struggling. "DADDY! TINA LET GO! HELP DADDY!"

"You know…its sweet what you do for the little girl you hardly know." Elle remarked, firing a blast at Carter before he could even get off a single shot. He went down, roaring in pain as the blue lightning ran along his skin, searing him. "Cute even…I like a man that is devoted."

Carter managed a weak chuckle. "Doubt that." He coughed, his lungs on fire.

"Oh? And why is that?"

Carter managed a smirk. "Because women find men that are like their fathers…and if I had to wager, your father was one twisted bastard." He sneered. "Did he just beat you, or did things get _physical_?" His laughing tone was cut short when Elle fired another current through his body.

"We should go after the girl. My brother is little concern compared to her." Terrence said.

Carter coughed as his nerves cooled, Elle pausing from her torture. "Yea…go pick on a baby, you coward." His fist glowed as he fired a blast at Elle, Terrence having to focus quickly to divert the effect. He stood up, summoning his deepest reserves of power, the whammy fires swirling about his body. "But if you think your getting out of this alley without a fight, you're wrong. I'm going to give my last breath to stop you, to keep that girl safe." He gave them a smirk, defiant yet accepting. "It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known." He quoted.

"Whatever, Shakespere." Elle muttered, readying for the attack.

"Dickens, you cow." Carter said simply, taking a step forward. "I'm willing to die for that little girl…" He swung a punch at Terrence, knocking the man back, mostly because of the surprise of the attack. "…for the only reason to let her live." He bowed his head slightly. "Nothing beautiful in the world was won through cowardice and fear. If I must die to see that she remains, let it be. A better end a father could not ask for.

"But let me guess…there isn't a single person you'd die for…a single ideal." He was now nose to nose with Elle, who watched on passively. "You could live a hundred years…and I'll still have been more important…more loved…then you. People will cry over my body..." Carter leaned in to whisper in her ear. "No one will cry for you…and for that…I pity you."

Elle let out a roar as she fired her energy into him, Carter screaming as he slammed into a wall, ribs cracking as he twisted in agony. Elle sneered as she poured on the attack, shocking him for all she was worth, wanting to watch him suffer.

Terrence cursed as he rose, rubbing his eye. 'Clever, brother. I can't leave Elle to get the girl, and she won't leave till your dead.' Despite his best efforts…he could feel respect for his brother. 'You knew the moment you saw us you'd die…and you faced it head on.'

"That's enough, Elle." Terrence snapped. "Let him go."

Elle continued to pour on the attack, Carter's flesh burning as he roared out in agony.

"I said stop!" Terrence exclaimed, holding out his hand and shocking her nerves. Elle gasped, glaring at him. "You fell for his ruse…the girl is probably gone by now, out of reach. You failed this mission, you ignorant child."

Elle waved her hand at Carter. "He…"

"…isn't important." Terrence snapped. He watched as Carter's flames flickered, it dawning as the energy vibed the danger they were in. "You moron…" He held out his hand, only realizing there was nothing he could do with his powers. Instead, he rushed to the man, grabbing his unburned hand and stroking it. "Fight it…"

"What the hell…" Elle muttered.

"My brother is like a dam." Terrence snarled. "When he's hurt, the dam breaks, and he explodes. He nearly destroyed Philadelphia a few weeks ago…and he killed 40 guards just last week." Carter grit his teeth as a stray blast fired from his eyes into the sky. "Your electroshock therapy just cracked the only wall that stands between us and the greatest mass murder since the Atomic Bomb." He locked eyes with her. "We don't even know what happens if he dies…what happens to that power. This is why your father said to bring Daniels in alive! A blast like this would reduce the brain of every person in the city. If he goes…he could take out all of Las Vegas!"

&&&

"Drink?"

Madrid looked up at Sergei dumbly, confused. "Huh?"

"Drink…" He wiggled the cup in front of her face. "…you need to drink something…you'll dehydrate yourself."

"Yea." Madrid said, taking the glass as she looked down from the hotel balcony. Sergei sat next to her, saying nothing. "Where is Lee?" She finally asked.

"Who knows?" Sergei muttered. "Stormed off after Carter left."

Madrid closed her eyes. "I…I wish I'd said more." She lowered her head. "Wish I'd told her I loved her…"

"Vally knows you love her."

"What…what if I…?" She broke down then, sobbing, Sergei wrapping an arm around her as she balled like a baby. "Oh God…Vally…"

"Listen…it will be ok. I'm going to go out right now and look for Daniels…and force him to give us Vally."

"And if you can't find him?"

"We track him down." Sergei said with determination, lifting Madrid's chin and locking eyes with her. "I swear…I will do everything I can to find Vally."

Madrid nodded. "Thank you…for everything. You're…one of the few goods ones."

Sergei nodded, gently cupping her face in his hands, before giving her a light kiss. "You too Madrid…you too."

&&&

"Well…then stop him." Elle said stubbornly.

"I can't." Terrence muttered. "The Ellis Line is unable to use our powers against each other. Each is immune to the other." He watched as Carter twitched, the energy flashing once, twice…then beginning to calm. Beneath his eyelids, a faint pinkish glow flashed, to quick for any of them to notice. "I think he's calming." He threw Elle his cellphone. "Call your father, get him to send a medical team. We can't risk him going nuclear on us. We need to treat these…" Terrence froze as he lifted Carter's shirt.

Oh, there were electrical burns. But already they were beginning to slowly heal. Within a day, Carter would be back to full strength.

Elle frowned, examining the chest. "Nice…your little brother has nice abs."

"As creepy as that is." Another voice said, "I think it is time for you to step away from my son."

Elle and Terrence looked up to find themselves facing a mess of pissed off people. Helena Daniels, Hank Delpine and Kelly Raegan each had guns drawn, the most scary being Kelly's sawed off shotgun that she wielded like some crazed killer from a horror film.

Linda's eyes were blue as she drew the water from the air to form a nice mini wave, enough to do damage with. To her right, Marshal was in his hybrid form, snarling as he held up a clawed hand.

On the other side was Tina, finally managing to shake off the whammy blast, acid dripping onto the ground. And standing next to her…

"Daddy?" Vally whispered, tears running down her cheeks. "Daddy…"

Carter groaned, managing to weakly kick Terrence away as he rolled away, moving to his hands and knees. "Vally…" he moaned.

"Daddy!" Vally squealed, breaking from Tina's side before she could stop her, leapin into her father's arms. Carter let out a weak cry as she smashed into hisburns, but still managed to give her a hug.

"As nice as this is…" Kelly said, pointing her gun as Terrence. "I think its time for you two to…you know, leave."

"What she said." Hank snarked. "We'll be taking our friend now."

"Is that so?" Terrence asked, taking a step forward…

…then jerking as his chest bulged out slightly.

"Yes." Linda said coldly, holding up a hand. "Please…give me a reason not to feel guilty for ripping the blood out of you." She released him, Terrence stumbling back. "The instant either one of them moves, kill them." She commanded.

Helena nodded. "Carter, lets go."

He nodded, struggling to get to his feet. But the weight of Vally, along with his most likely broken ribs and burnt chest, was making it hard to get his balance, slowing him down greatly.

Elle would have none of it.

Lifting her hand, she unleashed one of her stronger electrical blasts, this timehoping to wipe him out for good. 'Like this weakling could hurt me.' Hank, seeing what happened, fired, just grazing Elle's shoulder as she finished the blast, letting it fly. Carter looked up as the blast headed towards him, locking eyes with Elle as he did so. She felt her stomach drop as the energy crackled around him, suddenly remembering Terrence's warning.

"DADDY!" Vally cried out, doing the unthinkable.

She leapt infront of the lightning blast.

"NO!" Carter, Tina, Helena, Marshal, Linda, Kelly, Hank and, shockingly, Terrence cried out, each trying to move towards her, to save her. Time slowed like it was in molasses. The electricity arced towards the little girl, her face set in stubborn determination as it came at her full force. Carter was reaching out, burnt hand grazing her back as he just missed her. The rest were too far…unable to do anything.

"NO HURT DADDY!" Vally screamed, and as she did so, her eyes flashed. Flame-like energy burst from her body, engulfing her until she was little more then a fiery pink version of herself, a mini-metatron. Her eyes changed to gold as the lightning hit…

…and fizzled to nothing.

Carter didn't even notice as his own body exploded once more, his form mimicking hers, his normally silver eyes glowing gold. He dragged himself towards her as Vally stared Elle down.

"_No hurt daddy_." Vally said sternly, her voice vibrating slightly as the energy flared once more.

"I'd do what she says." Hank snarled, raising his gun and pointing it at Elle. "I won't miss this time."

Carter reached out, wrapping an arm around Vally's waist and drawing her close. The group held their breath as Carter's aura mixed with Vally's, soothing it. "**Its ok.**" Carter said, his own voice distorting to its Metatron form.

Vally reached out a small hand, touching his cheek. "_She hurt daddy_." She whimpered, aura flashing.

"**Its ok…**" Carter tried to reason as he stood up, even as he noticed Elle trying to secretly summon a bolt of lightning. "**Don't…**" he warned a second too late.

Vally's head snapped towards Elle, eyes narrowing in anger. "_NO!_" A whammy blast was pulled from the two of them, Vally sending it at her father's attacker. Elle screamed as her lightning rebounded on her, coursing along her flesh.

Terrence grabbed Elle's unconscious form, locking eyes with Carter. "This isn't over, brother."

"**I imagine not**…" Carter whispered, "…**brother**." It was only when Vally sensed Terrence and Elle leave that she powered down, Carter joining her as the two returned to normal. "Don't ever do that again." Carter said sternly. "You scared daddy to death."

Vally nodded, hugging him tight. "Sowwy daddy."

Carter reached down, picking up her backpack and the special bear from where they had fallen, handing her the stuffed animal. "I know. You were very brave, sweetie." He admitted. "Just…don't do that again." He kissed her forehead. "I love you, princess. Don't want you hurt."

"Love you too, daddy." Vally replied, snuggling in his arms. She blinked, looking behind him. "Who they?"

"Who _are _they." Carter corrected.

Kelly shook her head. "Jeez Carter…you pick up a stray and suddenly you go Mr. Rogers on us. Freaky."

"No stray." Carter said, walking towards them. "But first…how are you guys?"

"How are we?" Hank asked, scoffing. "How are we?!?" He stormed up to Carter, glaring at his with hatred. "You go and sacrifice yourself…die…then come back…and ask us that…you…" He shook his head in frustration.

"I know." Carter said, shifting Vally to one arm so he could place another on Hank's shoulder. "I missed you to, my friend."

Hank took a breath, before wrapping Carter in a bearhug, laughing. "You're a jackass." He finally whispered.

"Hey…little ears present." Carter scolded.

The other man paused, finally noticing the little girl. "Oh…hi."

Vally frowned. "Who y…Who aw you?" She looked up at her father, grinning. "That wight?"

"Right." Carter confirmed. "This is your Uncle Hank." He moved towards the group, pointing out each one. "That's your Aunt Kelly. She's daddy's best friend."

Kelly crossed her arms. "Lucy…you've got some 'splainin' to do." She said in her best Ricky Ricardo voice, even though Carter could see the happy tears in her eyes. "Like how you suddenly have a Mexican Love Child."

Carter merely moved on, ignoring the joke, for now. "Later, Kel. And this is Professor…"

Linda took a step forward, interrupting. "I'm your Aunt Linda, sweetie." She nodded at Carter. "Welcome back."

"Thanks. And this is daddy's mommy, your Grandma Helena."

Vally perked up at that. "I have a gwanma?"

Helena chuckled. "That you do, Vally." She kissed Carter on the forehead, much the same way her son had kissed his daughter moments before. "Welcome back Carter."

The toddler looked Marshal up and down. "He smells like a kitty. You a kitty?"

Marshal chuckled at that. "Sure, darlin'" He drawled.

Carter looked at the group, Tina moving towards him, still unsure of her place with this new group. "I know you each have questions. And trust me…we have a story to tell. But right now…I want to get the three of us out of this town, now."

"Three?" Tina whispered.

"You think I'd abandon you the first chance I got? Closest thing I have towards a friend these last few weeks…"

Tina nodded. "Thanks."

Helena nodded. "I have a van. We can be out of this he…" Carter glared at her, nodding towards Vally. "….heck hole in an hour."

Kelly rolled her eyes. "Great…can't even swear. Maybe that's the kids powers." She threw her hands up in the air.

"She's loud." Vally said simply.

"That she is." Carter teased as he followed his friends out of the alley, wrapping his free arm around Tina, the burns on his torso still causing him discomfort. "Come on princess…lets go home."

&&&

High above them, Seth sat down on the roof, Daniel behind him. "Do you see now, Seth?" The old man asked.

"She's a nullifier." Seth whispered in awe. "You told me her abilities were power based…"

Daniel shook his head in good humor. "I see…you don't understand."

"Understand what?"

"What was Valencia's first way to manifest her power?"

Seth thought. "Identification and detection. She could see a person, know if they had a power…" His eyes widened as he whispered, "…and what that power was. Dear God…you don't mean…"

Daniel nodded. "One of the first people she scanned was herself. And I believe she discovered exactly what her powers were fully…but be it because of a child's priorities or something more, Valencia never activated the rest of her powers…she's held on to them…waiting. She's an Omega, Seth. The youngest Omega ever…and one of the most powerful…all it will take is a moment of need for her to reveal herself." Daniel smirked, the old man rubbing his hands together. "I can't wait to see what she does next."

&&&

(Alliance Satellite Base-50 Miles Outside Las Vegas)

Merrick looked down at the figure kneeling before him, a grin tugging on his lips as he paced. "You have done very well…very well indeed." The man stroked his chin as he spoke, already figuring out how this would all play out. "It seems fate is on our side, my apprentice. You…captured by The Company, only to be freed and join with Carter Daniels…the thorn in my side. The fact that the little girl was with you only made things sweeter." He nodded to himself. "yes…Madrid foolishly dismissing the Metatron will be her downfall…we will let her destroy the Metatron…then you will stab her in the back."

Merrick steepled his fingers, looking up slightly. The man would undo the sins of his father, repay The Alliance for his family's crimes…and prove himself worthy to be Merrick's number two.

And help him reclaim his missing son.

"Should be easy enough to do Alverez in…" Merrick said at last, "…since she has obviously fallen for you."

"What can I say…I'm one of the few good ones." Sergei said with a grin.

&&&

To Be Continued…

&&&

Author's Note: A quick comment. If you read the fic carefully, there is a hint Vally was the reason that Carter didn't go boom. You may wonder how this can be, since its been stated that the House of Ellis can't affect one another.

But we also know Vally is stronger then any Ellis that came before her…

&&&

(We here a piano begin to play, and we see figures standing in the darkness as One Republic's "Apologize" begins to play. The camera fades in on Linda as she stares out at nothing. Suddenly, the image of Riker having the water torn out of him appears like a mist beside her)

I'm holding on your rope,  
Got me ten feet off the ground

(Linda looks to the sky, calling forth rain. The scene fades on Hank, who watches as the mirage of him and his goons beating Carter appears)

I'm hearin what you say but I just can't make a sound

(Hank lowers his head, the scene shifting to Kelly, who watches the mirage of her parents crying, TV reports about her being missing playing.)

You tell me that you need me  
Then you go and cut me down, but wait

(A tear slides down Kelly's check as the scene switches to Helena, her mirage showing a beaten Vic Daniels all alone)

You tell me that you're sorry  
Didn't think I'd turn around, and say...

(Helena shut her eyes as the scene moves to Sergei, who watches himself bow down to Merrick, betraying the group)

It's too late to apologize, it's too late  
I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late

(Sergei merely smirks as the scene shifts to Lee, who watches his father burn to death while Carter explodes)

I'd take another chance, take a fall  
Take a shot for you

(Lee bows his head, wet hair falling in his eyes as we now see Galatea watching as Nikki struggles to raise Micah)

And I need you like a heart needs a beat  
But it's nothin new - yeah yeah

(Galatea clenches her fist as we move to Tina, who stares in horror as the mirage makes her watch Vally being assaulted by her father's guards)

I loved you with a fire red-  
Now it's turning blue, and you say...

(Tina cries out as we fade to Madrid, who watches a mirage version of herself denouncing Carter, Vally crying out)

"Sorry" like the angel heaven let me think was you  
But I'm afraid...

(We fade to Carter, standing in the pouring rain, watching Madrid cry over finding Vally gone)

It's too late to apologize, it's too late  
I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late

(As the music goes instrumental for a moment, Carter turns his back and begins walking away. We see the others doing the same)

It's too late to apologize, it's too late  
I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late

(We fade in on Vally, standing between two rain storms. She looks to her right as see Madrid, Lee, Galatea and Sergei to one side. On the other, Carter, Kelly, Linda, Hank, Helena, and Tina.Both groups silently scream at each other, ready to fight.)

I said it's too late to apologize, yeah  
I said it's too late to apologize, yeah

(Vally looks at each group as the camera pans in towards her…)I'm holdin on your rope, got me ten feet off the ground...

(A tear falls from her eye)

ELSEWHERE

Volume 2 continues

January 2008

"We always hurt the ones we love"


	35. 1 Month Later

"IT SNOWED LAST NIGHT!"

Linda groaned, covering her head with a pillow. She had just been dreaming of Brad Pitt and chocolate syrup, only to find herself yanked from fantasy land and pulled towards reality.

"GET UP, GET UP!" A little voice cried out, tugging on Linda's comforter. "Pwease, Aunt Winda, wake up!"

Shaking her head, and debating if it was moral to flood the entire building, Linda Frey slowly sat up, rubbing gunk out of her eyes and looked down at the little person currently standing on her bed.

Valencia Alverez was a study in pink. Little pink socks adorned her feet, followed by a pair of pink snowsuit, a white snowman sewed on the front. Her hair was done up in pigtails, complete with pink ribbons, and on her head sat a pink wool cap. In her tiny, pink mitten covered hands were her pink boots and, of course, pink scarf.

Linda smiled slightly as Vally held out the boots. "Help?" she asked innocently.

"Vally…what do we say?" Linda asked.

"…pwease help?" Vally said. Her father was trying his hardest to instill manners in her, since Madrid hadn't bothered to teach the girl much in the ways of etiquette.

Linda shook her head, but relented, setting Vally on her lap and helping her get the boots on. Ever since they'd left Las Vegas, Vally had become everyone's responsibility. She was a hyper little thing, a hydrogen molecule with legs, and it took the entire group to keep her safe. It would have been a lot easier, if said little girl didn't have strange superpowers.

The last month had brought them all no closer to figuring out what Vally could do. Sometimes, she would sneeze and Linda would suddenly find herself in a rainstorm…inside the building. One time Marshall had been stuck as a puppy for 7 hours while Vally blissfully (and completely unaware) pet him while watching cartoons. When Kelly and Tina had taken her shopping, they'd panicked when Vally had burst into pink flames, forcing them to remain hidden in the women's bathroom until Carter arrived. The most recent, and startling, of Vally's power flare ups was when she had somehow made Hank turn invisible. After they had fixed that mess, Hank had found he now had the power to go unseen with just a blink, leaving the group even more confused.

"So, it snowed last night?" Linda asked softly.

Vally bobbed her head. "yup! And daddy is takin' me swedding!"

Ever since they had arrived back in Michigan, Carter had promised his little girl that she would finally get to see snow. Vally had been waiting every day, peaking out the window and asking when the "snow-man" would get there.

Glancing at the clock, Linda frowned. "Vally…its 5:30 in the morning…I think daddy is going to want to wait a bit."

"no!" Vally snapped. "Swedding!"

"Vally…" Linda said again, but Vally had already leapt from her arms and was running down the stairs. Chasing after the little girl, Linda skidded to a stop when, in the main foyer of the building, she found Carter and Hank bundled up, waiting for Vally.

"Hey, ready to go sledding?" Carter asked, cradling Vally in his arms, his black duster hanging loosely around his form.

"Aunt Winda said we awen't swedding!" Vally exclaimed, tears in her eyes.

Carter shot Linda a dirty look. "Aunt Linda is very tired, so she is saying stupid things."

Linda rolled her eyes. "Says the man up at 5:30 to go sledding."

Hank scoffed, throwing open the door and revealing the magnificence of their surroundings.

(The Travelers-The Governor's Mansion, Mackinaw Island)

"Only you could be bitchy in a winter wonderland."

"EEEE!" Vally squealed, leaping from her father's arms and running out to play, the men right behind her.

Marshal blinked, walking into the room, cup of coffee in hand, already dressed. "Wow, you slept in really late."

Linda rolled her eyes in disgust. "men…"

&&&

(The Alliance Mountain Headquarters-Swiss Alps)

"I want him dead, father." Ashleigh snapped, pacing back and forth. Her father watched her from his seat at the war room table, tapping commands into a computer and bringing a digital picture of the United States up. "He embarrassed me!"

"And I suppose this has nothing to do with the fact that Carter Daniels is currently with your son?"

"HE ISN'T MY SON!" Ashleigh screamed, kicking a chair violently. "He is…is a mistake, caused by a rogue doppelganger. And when I find him, I will erase him…she is dead, I won, no part of her can live on!"

Anthony Delpine sighed. For a month, Carter Daniels had been off the radar, escaping Vegas with his daughter and Tina Linderman. Where they had gone, no one knew, but it had all of the Delpines on edge.

Well, except for Merrick.

Anthony glanced over at his son, who was currently opening and closing his hand, watching as a strawberry he had on the table seemed to be…breathing…or growing and shrinking…

"Must you do that?" Ashleigh complained.

Merrick glanced up, his hand still shut and the strawberry looking normal. "Is it bothering you?"

"Yes." She said tersely. "Stop it."

"Ok." Merrick said, opening his hand. The strawberry quivered, appearing to be squeezed by an unseen force, before it exploded, juice and pulp flying everywhere. Merrick brushed away the goo, Ashleigh glaring at him. "Happy?"

"Delighted." Ashleigh muttered. "Would you mind telling us why you are so calm?"

Merrick shrugged. "Simple, really. While you fouled up the robbery, and dear ol' dad's assassins couldn't take out Daniels or the cheerleader, I planted the perfect mole in Daniels' group. Aradiky will keep an eye on Alverez, and when she finds out where her sister/daughter is…bam!" Merrick slammed his hands together. "We find Daniels."

Anthony frowned. "Need I remind you that we are not seeking to kill Daniels…we merely want the light…"

"Daniels is predicted to kill us, father." Merrick said coldly.

"You don't believe in prophecies." Anthony countered.

"But you do." Merrick stated. "You believe the prophecy of the Son and the Lion is going to come to pass, that Carter will turn two of our own against us and destroy us. You believe my son and Ashleigh's bastard child are the Son and Lion spoken of."

Anthony leaned forward. "And you don't? There is a prophecy about you, my son. How the sun will burn out, love will ignite the stars, and your death will be the final trigger that begins the last war."

"Fate has no control over me." Merrick said coldly. "And if you believe it does, then why do you fight on? Why did you fire Riker and BeeBee?"

Anthony pointed a finger at his eldest. "I believe that some things can be seen…but I do not believe our fate is sealed." He scoffed. "Your mistrust in prophecy is as foolish as your trust in Sergei."

"My second will outdo your assassins and Ashleigh's clones…" Merrick said as he turned to leave. Under his breath, he muttered. "Then we will see who should be running this family, father."

&&&

(Château de l'épéiste-30 minutes outside of France)

Daniel briskly typed into his laptop, growling in frustration as he failed yet again to hack into the system the Delpine's were using. He knew they were after his grandson, but unfortunately, there was little he could do legally to stop them.

The Alliance was made up of 7 major families. Each major family was divided into many smaller families that were all connected by one head. The House of Delpine was broken down currently into 15 different families and sub families, but the head of the family was Anthony Delpine.

If the head of a family wished to attack another, they needed a majority vote from all members of the alliance to do so. Which meant, in actuality, that they needed a majority of the major family heads to agree, as the head of each family could guarantee that each of his/her relatives would side with their decision.

So far, Daniel had only secured 2 votes, not counting his own, Anthony having 2, not counting his own.

The final head would not decide for a long time.

Lord William Brynt, head of the House of Brynt, had been brutally attacked a month ago, barely hanging on before dying with Seth at his side. Lord William was to have sided with them, but without an official pronouncement…

Worst still, Lord William's second had been killed shortly before, a deed Daniel expected Merrick had been involved in. Without a second, the title of Head of Family would be fought for in the House of Brynt for months…most likely years.

Which left Daniel trying to crack their code…

"Sir." Seth called, Daniel picking up his headset. "We have a problem…it's Madrid."

&&&

Lee frowned, looking around at the tall buildings that surrounded them. "Are you sure about this?"

"Positive." Madrid said coldly.

"…just is, as a Boston boy, born and raised…I don't like being in enemy territory." Lee muttered.

"I agree with Lee, as sad as that is." Jessica/Galatea said. "This city is not a good place." Madrid's head snapped towards her, the look Madrid gave her enough to cause even Jessica to pull away.

Sergei frowned. "We need to be here…the only person that can help us lives here."

Lee rolled his eyes. "Yea yea yea…lets find this Dr. Suresh and get out of here. The less time spent here, the better…the people here are jerks." He paused, watching a guy in a Yankee hat innocently walk by. "Yankees suck, ass face! Red Socks, bitch! WOOOOO!"

Jessica/Galatea shook her head in disgust, while Sergei, a New Yorker born and bred, wondered if a jury would convicted him if he threw Lee in front of a bus.

&&&

Riker raised his gun, firing off several rounds at the dummy he had set up with Linda's face on it, blowing perfect little holes through her head. He grinned viciously, before extending a rubber arm and punching the dummy in the face.

"I can't wait till Merrick finds that girl…God…I am so going to bust her up…then I'll find that Metatron asshole and rip him a…you know." He nodded towards his partner. "You lookin' for vengeance, BeeBee?"

"Yea…yea…" She said. She'd told no one about what had really happened, told no one that the Metatron's touch hadn't wounded her, but instead fixed the damage in her mind, righted the chemical balance and removed her lust for violence. The kind, if street wise, girl she had been had awoken, and found herself trapped in a nightmare where her attacker was always near, she was forced to kill, and already her hands dripped with blood from all those she had hurt.

But as Riker smiled at her, his dark little eyes beading in on her…Biddy realized that she might be able to survive killing one more person…

&&&

Helena took a sip of her coffee, working on her laptop. She was e-mailing Governor Granholm, letting her know that they appreciated her lending them the Governor's Mansion on Mackinaw Island. Of course, Helena had not told her that she was using the mansion to hide her son and granddaughter from a secret group looking to capture and experiment on them.

No…no need for that.

PING

Helena paused, wondering how she could be getting an instant message.

WIRELESS: Is the Metatron there?

Huntress52: This is Helena…what do you want, Hana?

WIRELESS: I need to speak to the Metatron

Huntress52: You are going to speak to me first

WIRELESS: The Metatron is in danger

Huntress52: the company?

WIRELESS: Two senior members

WIRELESS: I don't know how they found you

Huntress52: Do we need to leave?

WIRELESS: No

WIRELESS: From what I overheard on their cellphone, they merely believe the Metatron and The Light passed through Mackinaw Crossings. As long as you do not leave the island, you should be fine

WIRELESS: You haven't left the mansion, correct?

WIRELESS: Helena?

WIRELESS: Helena?

WIRELESS: HELENA!

&&&

"Good fudge?" Carter asked, looking down at Vally as the girl happily munched on her snack.

"Yup!"

Hank had driven the snowmobile up to the Mackinaw Bridge, Carter and Vally being dragged behind on the sled the gang had gotten on a previous trip. The little girl had screamed with joy the entire time, secure in her father's arms as Hank pulled them in complex patterns and bone jarring speed shots along the frozen lake.

Finally, after hours of fun, the 3 had parked the snowmobile under the bridge and made their way into town, getting lunch and making a snack run to one of the famous fudge shops.

"Carter…" Hank said, pulling on his wool facemask. "…you sure you never saw God?"

Carter nodded. Ever since he'd gotten back, Hank had been quizzing him about his return, something, according to Kelly, to do with Hank's crisis of faith. "Positive…a lot of dead people…but no God."

"Hmmm…I'd think God would want to see His voice."

Carter smirked, but before he could respond, someone else did. "God can see many things, Mr. Delpine…why can't He see his own Voice whenever he wants?"

Hank and Carter fell into defensive positions, keeping Vally between them and away from the three newcomers. It was a strange group: A stern older Japanese man, a younger Japanese man that seemed too innocent to be there, both men having samurai swords strapped to their back…

…and a woman that looked like the Devil herself, dressed in prada…and not as a joke.

Carter's eyes flashed. "Angela Petrelli."

"You know my name?" Angela asked in interest.

"You see many things in the afterlife…what you tried to do to your sons…to my sister…" His hand burst into silver flames. "Well…that is the talk of all of Heaven."

Hank licked his lips, grasping Vally's shoulder. "Carter?"

"We are only here to talk, Mr. Daniels." The older man said, his voice calm yet unyielding.

"I seriously doubt that, Kaito." Carter shot back, backing his group away.

"Why are you so defensive…we are not here to fight you." The younger man said.

"Ando." Carter greeted. "I'm surprised you're here…Charlie said so many kind things about you…and something about you needing to lose weight?" Ando's eyes widened, and Carter glared at Angela. "That woman makes Satan shiver, Ando."

"You don't know me." Angela said calmly. "You don't understand why I did what I did?"

"Kill millions so you can set your son up as the savior of man. Oh yea…I understand." Carter shot back. He turned towards Kaito. "And let me guess, Kaito…you're just here because you wanted to visit…it has nothing to do with great grand father…the man you have imprisoned right now in one of your Company cells."

Kaito's lips made a thin line. "Adam Monroe tried to destroy the world."

"And imprison him." Carter answered. "But from what I've learned, that ain't enough…me and granddad have been talking…The Company wants to eliminate everyone of the Monroe bloodline…including me."

"Some family ya got, Carter." Hank quipped. "What next…cousin who's a mass murderer?" Carter glanced away. "Carter? Carter!?!"

"Gabriel is nuts, ok? Not my fault and not the point." He turned back to Angela. "Hank…get Vally out of here."

"Daddy?" Vally whispered.

Angela raised a finely sculpted eyebrow. "Are you going to have Hank and the girl disappear, Carter?" Hank frowned as she guessed his move. "I see we came just in time, if that is the best idea you can come up with to protect her."

Carter raised an eyebrow. "let me guess…you're here to kidnap my daughter." Vally whimpered, curling against her father's leg.

Kaito frowned. "We can give her a better life."

"I've seen what the Company considers a better life." Carter replied harshly, Ando's eyes widening at that comment, wondering what the heck was going on. "I still have electrical burns."

"Elle and Terrence are different…" Kaito answered. "We would insure…"

"Why was Hiro never in the Company?" Carter asked. "Why not your own son, Kaito?" He narrowed his eyes, other hand going silver. "That's enough of an answer for me."

"What do you plan to do, Mr. Daniels? Fight us?" Angela asked with a quirk of her lips. "Try and punch us and treat this like a back alley brawl?" She held out her hands. "Look at where we are…you'll draw attention to yourself, and that is the last thing you need. And besides…you won't win." She held out her hand. "Give us the girl…and we will work with you to ensure you play a part in her life."

Carter nodded his hand. "A…generous offer. But you see…a generous offer from a madwoman…is mad in of itself." He held out his hand, but when Angela and Kaito prepared for the blast, Carter instead darted towards Ando, punching him in the gut and relieving him of his weapon.

The Kensai blade.

"This is a nice sword." Carter said, before swinging the blade at Kaito's neck. The older man drew his own sword, blocking the strike. "Hank!"

"Got it!" he shouted, going invisible along with Vally.

"Daddy!" Vally's voice rang out.

"Vally, go with Uncle Hank!" Carter commanded, locking blades with Kaito.

Angela frowned, walking towards where Hank and Vally had stood, following the rapidly appearing footsteps in the snow. "Deal with him, I'll get the girl."

Kaito looked at Carter. "You should have given her to us…made it easy."

"You shouldn't have come here…made it easier on everyone." Carter replied, swinging his sword.

The battle was on.

&&&

Author's Note: Many people have wondered about how Carter Daniels can be so powerful, why so many people are after him and his daughter. The reason can be found in his family tree. Carter is slowly discovering that he is connected to many, many powerful houses, each of these lending down to him and making him such a favored target.

There are about 25-50 powerful family bloodlines in the Elsewhere/HEROES universe. The Petrelli Bloodline, the Nakamura Family, the House of Ellis, and The Line of Adam Monroe are four of the most powerful. Beyond these are other strong houses that, when blended in with any of the four, result in a powerful hero. Angela Petrelli's family is one, resulting in Peter. The Gordon family is another, its two children (Claire and Carter) both incredible powerful.

As we have seen, many heroes have connections, and more will appear soon in the show and the story to reveal just how closely they are tied together.

But for now, because someone requested in, Carter's family tree. After each person's name will be their power and what house or bloodline they belong too.

Carter Daniels: Mental Manipulation; most notable houses are the House of Ellis and the Line of Adam Monroe; The Voice of God/Metatron.

Adopted Parents: Helena Daniels (nee Bruce) and Vic Daniels; Powerless and Unknown, assumed powerless

Birth Mother: Meredith Gordon; Fire creator

Birth Father: Edward Ellis; Seduction related powers

Half Sisters: 1) Claire Bennet (By Meredith Gordon and Nathan Petrelli); Self Healing; The House of Gordon and the Petrelli Bloodline. 2) Sarah Ellis/Eden McCain; Compulsion; The House of Ellis; Atleast 7 other unknown half sisters

Half Brother: Terrence Harper; Nervous System manipulator; House of Ellis (Edward Ellis bore no other sons)

Fraternal Grandfather: Daniel Monroe; Age manipulation; The Line of Adam Monroe (Only known child of Adam Monroe, though Adam Monroe denies his existence)

Fraternal Grandmother: Joyce Brightdawn Ellis; Powers unknown, believed to the be light connected; The House of Ellis

Fraternal Cousin Once Removed: Virginia Grey (nee Ellis); Unknown

Fraternal Cousin Twice Removed: Gabriel Grey; Superhuman understand of mechanics of machines and humans.

Maternal Grandparents: Unknown

Fraternal Grandfather's Father: Adam Monroe; Self Healing; Head of the Line of Adam Monroe

Fraternal Grandfather's Mother: Unknown, believed to be a prostitute Adam Monroe was with before heading to Japan

Fraternal Grandmother's Father: Isaiah Ellis (birthname Richard Bishop, son of Robert Bishop; adopted son of Father Ellis, catholic priest); Telescopic vision; The House of Ellis founder, The Horsemen of Death

Fraternal Grandmother's Mother: Stormrider "Stormy" Ellis; Lightning summoner, The Horsemen of War

Distant Cousins (more the 5 times removed): Bob Bishop, Alchemy; Elle Bishop, electricity summoner;

For Bob and Elle, Isaiah's father had a brother who is their ancestor, meaning that Carter is very, very distantly related to Bob and Elle…making the fact that Terrence and Elle seem to enjoy beating on Carter more humorous.

Now, one other piece of business: Another one of the minor houses is the House of Alverez. This house is known for minor powers and incredible control. Believed to have some connection with The Alliance.

Carter's Daughter: Valencia Alverez-Daniels; Powers unknown, currently can detect, block and cause strange reactions in people with powers; The House of Ellis and the House of Alverez; The Light of God


	36. godfire

"Ando…leave us." Kaito commanded.

"Sir…"

"Do what he says." Carter said. "This is not a battle for the likes of you." He adjusted his grip of the Kensai, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he readied for the battle to come. "This is between and the swordmaster."

Kaito nodded. "Yes Ando…go."

Ando switched to Japanese. "_But it is Hiro's sword…he left it with me to protect."_

"_I will get it back…but I need you to leave, now, Ando…I can not face him and guard you. That is an order…now go!" _Ando glanced back at Carter one last time before he finally relented, leaving the two. "You can not win, Carter Daniels. You do not possess the skill to face me."

"My great grandfather was Kensai, the sword saint. Maybe something rubbed off." Carter paused. "Sword saint…the voice of God…well, that worked out rather nicely…wasn't even trying." The two began to circle each other, beginning a dark, dangerous dance.

Kaito was impressed. Carter, after his first hasty attack, had not pressed forward, a wise move. It was something Hiro had yet to learn, always rushing when one can see so much better when standing back.

The tension snapped, the two leaping at each other, swords clanging as the smashed them together. Carter removed himself from the lock first, bringing his blade up and blocking the slash Kaito aimed at his head. Carter seemingly danced away, once again entering the guard position, deflecting several of Kaito's attempts.

"Good." Kaito said simply, positioning himself for another flurry. "But…beginners knowledge will not help you here." He darted forward, their swords clashing as the moving about the alley. They moved in harmony, one evading while the other pursued, prey and predator in an age-old performance. "Impressive"

"You'll find I'm full of surprises!" Carter quipped as he continued his defensive stance.

Kaito focused, waiting for the moment he needed. He didn't want to kill Carter, just disable him, wound him so he and Angela could capture him and bring him in. Both had agreed that, despite their feelings about the state of The Company, Carter Daniels was one of the reasons it had been created.

There.

A slip in Carter's defense. A tiring of his arms, his sword brought slightly too low…

Kaito rushed in with several flourishes, before gracefully raising his sword up, driving the point towards Carter's shoulder…

The young man smirked.

Instantly, Carter sprang his trap. The fatigue Kaito had seen disappeared, and Carter checked his defensive slash, reversing direction and catching Kaito's blade with his, sending both weapons flying.

Kaito stared at him in shock. Only a few people would use that move…but the way Carter did it…

"_Who taught you that move!?" _Kaito bellowed, slipping accidentally into Japanese.

"_Your father, Kaito-san."_ Carter returned in Japanese, giving him a cheeky grin before diving for the weapons, Kaito following him. Through their positioning, each found themselves holding the other's sword. Carter glanced at the Kensai in Kaito's hands, then the sword in his own. It was much longer the one he had been using, better suited for his height, actually. He raised an eyebrow at the symbol upon the hilt. "And what do you call this blade?"

"The tensukasai….godfire." Kaito answered.

"well…that works out even better." Carter grinned, eyes flashing silver as he channeled his whammy energy out of his hands and into the sword, igniting the blade. "Oh yea…so much better."

&&&

"Ugh…what a mess." Madrid said is disgust, lifting a pair of boxer shorts up by the tip of her fingers, utterly repulsed.

Sergei shrugged. "Not that bad."

"No, looks a lot better then my old place." Lee agreed, even as he ran his hand over a table and came back with a palm covered in dust bunnies.

Madrid and Galatea shared a look. "Men."

(The Fugitives-Mohinder Suresh's Apartment)

"Hey…how would you have gotten in here, if it weren't for the man that knows how to pick locks?" Sergei said, wiggling his eyebrows.

Galatea/Jessica (it was getting harder to tell who was who) responded by cracking her knuckles.

"New strategy, R2…" Lee said in a British accent. "Let the wookie win."

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!" Galatea roared.

Lee hid behind Sergei. "Nothing, dear."

Sergei shoved Lee away from him. "Do not involve me in your petty squabbles, Malion." He moved towards Madrid, letting the two on again/off again lovers bicker between themselves. As long as Lee didn't begin summoning his locust or Galatea begin punching holes in the wall… "How are you holding up, beautiful?"

Madrid sighed, savoring Sergei's hand on her shoulder. The older man was a comfort that the former actress needed at a time like this. "Alright…better when we find Vally."

"Do you truly believe we will find the answer here?"

Madrid frowned. "We have to…"

&&&

Hank stood still, watching as Angela slowly walked past him, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"Amazing…I've seen several cloakers in my life, and an invisible man. But you, Hank Delpine, you are simply inspiring. Full invisibility to all senses…you can even hide your body heat and avoid detection from electronic devices that measure your presence." She slowly turned her head to her left, standing next to Hank and Vally, the little girl firmly in his arms. "But…can you block my friend?"

From a store emerged a dark skinned man, silent and calculating, bald head and dark eyes making him an imposing sight. The Haitian slowly walked towards them, Hank cursing as the Haitian blocked his powers. Angela reached out for Vally, Hank moving to stop her, only to get punched by the Haitian. Angela ran a hand along Vally's hair, the little girl screaming in outrage.

"Don't worry, sweetie…once my friend here is done with you, you won't miss your daddy…you won't even remember him."

"MONSTER!" Hank shouted, diving at Angela, swinging a punch, only for her to catch his arm and throw him aside.

"Do it." Angela demanded, the Haitian slowly touching Vally's head…

&&&

"Helena is in a panic." Tina said, leaning against the door to Kelly's room.

Kelly didn't look up. "Oh?"

"Thinks Carter is in danger."

"That's bad."

"I am drunk, naked and covered in fudge, ready to party."

"Get on my bed, once I finish this I'll lick you clean." Kelly said, still typing.

Tina smirked, running a hand along the back of Kelly's neck. "And here I thought you weren't listening."

"I'm always listening." Kelly said, typing quickly. "And I also knew about Carter."

Tina nodded. "Get something on your mental GPS?" 2 weeks after they had arrived in Mackinaw, and after being strapped to a chair and lectured into submission, Kelly had finally accepted that she had a superpower, the ability to see the world like a big map. At first, it had been little more then sensing the layout of a building, but practicing with Tina's help had allowed Kelly to expand her senses several miles, but only if she locked in on someone she knew. The way Carter's dot kept dancing around had clued her in on the fact that something was up.

Tina thought that maybe, one day, Kelly would be able to find anyone…anywhere. And Tina knew a lot, having been a big help.

And it didn't hurt that Tina was as sexy as hell, experienced in the sack, and up for some nerve calming sex.

"So…what are you working on?" Tina asked, sitting herself on the bed.

"I'm giving directions to Hana, who is sending me footage from security cams in the area. I'm using that to give Helena directions, then telling Hana when she can delete the footage from the records."

Tina grinned. "Aren't you just a sexy, walking version of Barbara Gordon." She picked up a file and glanced over it. "And how is our other pet project coming."

Kelly and Tina had begun a side project a week ago, seeing if they could figure out if there was a common thread between people of the same bloodline and their powers. It had all started when Kelly, commenting about Carter and Vally's shared fiery forms, had gotten Tina to admit that she and her father seemingly had opposing powers: His to heal at a touch, hers to burn and destroy.

"I have some interesting theories." Kelly said, typing a command to Helena. "Now, the dominant part of a power doesn't seem to have a connection. I mean, from what you told me about Micah, he was born to a superstrenth woman and a phaser. Same with Carter: His mom was a fire started, his dad could charm people with near hypnotic intensity."

"But the shared fire…"

"A minor trait." Kelly said. "Carter gets it from his mother, and he passed it down to his daughter. I wouldn't be surprised if it is now a dominant minor trait…"

"So your saying that the way a power manifests can be a reflection of a minor gene that is passed on, while the main part of the power is seemingly…random? Like how some healers can do it through blood, while my father does it through touch, and thus my power is activated through my hands?"

Kelly shrugged. "I'm a reporter…I only report."

"And I'm a psychologist. If you want to know how these powers effect the mind, that I can do." Tina paused. "The mind…wait…" She quickly flipped through the file. "Look at this…"

"Kinda busy." Kelly said, typing in another command, all the while trying to instant message her new chat buddy who was a seeming expert on the legend of Kensai.

"This is important." Tina said. "Carter can manipulate the chemicals in the brain. Eden McCain, Carter's sister, can implant thoughts. Terrence can manipulate the nerves. Their father could charm, a form of mental manipulation…" She continued to flip through papers. "My God…its nature and nurture."

"Huh?" Kelly asked.

"Terrence had an abusive uncle that use to beat him, burn him, cut him. Then Terrence developed the ability to block the signals nerves send to the brain. Eden always wanted to lead, to have people listen to her, even when she was mute…then found a voice that could command everyone."

Kelly pushed herself away from the computer. "Carter always said he dreamed of himself getting over his fear…of being brave and confident…"

"Then he found the fire to remold himself." Tina finished. "My father wanted to save his mother's life, then did. I wanted to melt my father's face off, then tried to. Tell me Kelly…did you get lost easily? When your friends went to the mall, was it common for you to get pulled into a crowd and have trouble finding them? Did you ever lose your parents in a store while you were a kid and wish you could find them?"

Kelly thought back, remembering all to well the day when she was a little girl, and how, while at the mall, she had been attacked by a drunk and nearly molested. The entire time, she had wondered where her mother was…wondered what was taking her so long…

Then…she had felt the man who made smoke come towards her, even before he entered her viewpoint…

"No way…" Kelly whispered.

Tina smiled, laughing nervously. "Way…the minor stuff, that's set in stone. But the power itself…it isn't in the blood…its all in the brain. Our brains rewire…and allow us to create the power we most desire."

Kelly licked her lips. "Which begs the question…what does a 2 year old want most?"

&&&

The Haitian frowned. This wasn't how it was suppose to go. Whenever he had reached in to alter a person's memories, it was like sifting through soul, pulling the memories out like grub worms and tossing them aside. Easy, simple, fast.

Now, however, he found himself all alone, the world gray and endless. He took a few steps, knelt down to feel the ground, only to find it like stone.

"You should have listened to me." A woman said, the Haitian glancing up at the newcomer.

Had he known her, he would have thought he was talking to Madrid Alverez. The woman was nearly her twin: Same long dark hair, same tanned skin, same body…only this woman stood about an inch or two taller, her nose was a bit different, and her eyes sparkled with interest. She was dressed in a tight pink t-shirt that showed off her breasts and left her belly bare, tight black jeans…and Carter Daniel's famous duster.

It is said that people, in their minds, have one definitive version of themselves, a persona they see as their ideal self.

It should have come as no surprise that for Valencia Alverez, hers was a fusion of Madrid and Carter.

"Who are you?" The Haitian demanded.

The woman smirked. "I am Valencia…or, at last, what she will become." She took a step closer, her leather boots clicking as she walked. "I am Vally at her full power, in her prime, her dreams and hero worship combined." The woman that called herself Valencia laughed. "I will admit…it's hard to imagine I come from Dora the Explorer Redux."

"You are the little girl?" The Haitian asked in shock.

Adult Valencia nodded. "I am the image she dreams of, every night, when her daddy tucks her in. All her life, Vally has seen heroes…from her father on the big screen, to her worship of Madrid who could do some many cool things, to her father, the silver angel that rescued her. I am the hero she was longs to be…brought forth by her desire to be a hero…to be special." She smirked as her eyes glowed pink. "Don't you see?"

Before the Haitian could react, Adult Valencia was on him, striking him down with a spin kick before slamming her fists into his gut, causing him to double over.

"I am the future." Adult Valencia said softly, her body exploding into pink flames. "I am the daughter of the Metatron and the General. I am the Light of God…and when Vally grows up…I'll be a reality." She grabbed the Haitian by the throat and asked, sweetly, "Now…get out of my head." When the Haitian did nothing, Adult Valencia shuddered in anger. "**GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"**

&&&

"NO TOUCH VALLY!" Vally screamed, remembering what Maddy and Daddy had taught her to shout if anyone bothered her. The Haitian crying out as he was flung back, a blast of pink flames sending in crashing into Angela.

Hank groaned, groping for something on grab onto. "Huh…where is that bitch…lets see her try that a third time."

"Uncle Hank, bad word!" Vally squealed, grabbing his hand. "Go…help daddy!"

Hank forced the cobwebs from his head, activating his powers and making them disappear just as Vally stuck her tongue out at Angela.

&&&

Merrick sat alone in his room, surrounded by orbs of different sizes, each holding different materials, from water to wood to coal. His eyes shut, he focused slowly on opening and closing his hands, working through his frustrations even as the different materials contracted and expanded.

His thoughts turned to his son, how he should never have waited like his father said to bring Hank in, begin his training. How he should be right now educating his boy about the ways of The Alliance, preparing him to become his number 2 instead of using that fool Aradiky…

How he and Hank should be preparing to kill off Ashleigh and Anthony and taking their place as the leaders of the family.

And now…Hank was with Carter.

Merrick let out a bellow, slamming his hands down. The orbs all shuddered, water firing from a few orbs with enough force to cut through walls, wood exploding into flames, coal shuddering and shrinking until it began to glow.

Standing up, Merrick's shoes crunched the glass underfoot as he walked over and picked up the diamond that now sat where the coal had once been. Shrugging, he pocketed it and left the room.

&&&

Carter launched himself again, slashing at Kaito, the businessman just managing to avoid him and his blade. The battle had become all the more dangerous due to his igniting of his sword, making each swipe another chance of either a cut of a blast of whammy energy for Kaito.

Ando, who had defied Kaito's demand out of loyalty to Hiro's father and Hiro's sword, watched on, though his attention was divided between the fight and reading the message from his new IM pal.

TerryFromElsewhere: hey, can i get more info on kensai? think friend related to him

Looking up to see Kaito charge at Carter, the young man just managing to block the slice that would have taken his hand, Ando quickly turned back to the phone.

Ladiesman217: will later, busy

TerryFromElsewhere:?

Ladiesman217: my friends father is in a fight

TerryFromElsewhere: shoulnd't you help him?

TerryFromElsewhere: shouldn't

Carter snarled, Kaito managing to slice into his thigh. "I needed that scratch to awaken me!"

Ladiesman217: can't

Ladiesman217: sword fight

Ladiesman217: the other guy took my sword

TerryFromElsewhere: swordfight?

TerryFromElsewhere: the other guy…black duster…had a little girl with him?

Ladiesman217: …how ya know that?

TerryFromElsewhere: …

Ando was pulled from his musings when he heard Carter curse, looking up to find the young man on his knees, Kaito's sword at his neck.

"You fought well…do not waste your life." Kaito said coldly.

"If I gave up Vally to you…then my life would be worth nothing."

Kaito nodded. "As hard as it is for you to believe…I understand the depths a father will go for his child."

"what about a mother?" Helena asked, emerging from behind Ando and placing a gun to his head. "Let him go, Kaito."

Kaito frowned. "Do you really believe I can do that? The girl must be protected, Helena…you were part of the company…I helped train you…why do you not trust us?"

"And you should known better then anyone that I protect what is mine. I protected the Company…but my son and granddaughter comes first. And I swear to God, Kaito…let him go or I will kill this boy, then I'll kill you."

Kaito narrowed his eyes. "Angela Petrelli is here…as is the Haitian…you are outnumbers…"

"The bitch and the Frenchman are out cold." Hank said, appearing behind Kaito and wrapping an arm around his neck. Vally glared at Kaito, kicking him in the shin, before rushing into her daddy's arms. "You know…I am a master of torture…use to do it to Carter all the time. But now…now that me and him are on the same side…I'm doing everything to make up for all the pain I put him through." He tightened his grip as Carter quickly moved towards his mother, Helena motioning for Carter to follow her towards the van she had set up in Mackinaw Crossings just for something like this. Carter, one hand holding Vally close, the other wrapped around the sword he had decided to take, moved quickly beside his mother, glaring at Kaito and Ando. "I am a ghost, old man…you come after us…and the last thing you'll hear before I kill you…" He leaned in close. "is silence."

And with that, hank disappeared, Kaito whipping around, trying to find him.

But Hank, along with Carter, Vally and Helena…were gone.

&&&

"I think he looked good." Mohinder said, his companion shaking her head.

"You're crazy."

"Well, he looked better then he did a week ago…they say he'll be out soon."

"I hope so."

Mohinder opened the door, taking a few steps into his apartment before the door slammed shut. He turned, wrapping an arm around Molly, eyes widening. "Nikki?"

Galatea grinned. "Not quite, Doctor Suresh."

Sergei stepped forward, barbs poking out of his fists. "We just want to talk."

Lee nodded, summoning two walking chairs. "So please, be our guest."

Suresh took a few deep breaths, wondering what new hell he found himself in. "Let Molly go. Please…I'll do whatever you want…" Madrid stepped forward. "Wait…"

"Madrid Alverez?" Molly asked, confused. "My mom has all your movies. What…what are you doing here?"

Madrid smirked. "We are here for a favor…and despite what Dr. Suresh thinks, we aren't here for him…" She knelt down slowly to look Molly in the eye. "We're here for you."


	37. The Price

"Carter!" Linda shouted, rushing out of the house and wrapping the younger man up in a hug. "Are you ok? You disappeared off of Kelly's radar…"

"Peachy." Carter said simply, shifting Vally in his arms. "Hank thought it best we hide."

"Daddy fought a sword-man." Vally said happily.

(The Travelers-Mackinaw Island)

Tina, leaning in the doorway, crossed her arms over her chest. "A sword-man, huh? Is that a man that uses swords, a man that is a sword."

"Is a sword. Really freaky, sorry you missed it." Carter quipped as he headed towards the mansion.

"Carter…" Linda warned.

"Lay off me, will ya? I get enough babying from mom."

"Daddy no baby." Vally giggled.

"Isn't a baby, Vally." Carter corrected.

Kelly, who had passed by Tina and was now marching towards Carter, glared at him and the rest of the group as they trudged up. "Anyone mind explaining what I was feeling out there?"

"Not really." Hank muttered. "Would rather down some asprin and take a nap…damn that old bitch could throw a punch."

Tina smirked. "On behave of all future-old-bitches, boyah."

"Where'd you get the sword?" Kelly asked.

"Won it." Carter said. "Skee ball…sport of the gods."

Marshal approached Helena, his face grim. "Are we exposed?"

Helena shook her head. "We're good…they only know we were in Mackinaw City, not on the island. I can set up some fake passports online, then leak the info…make the company think we're in Canada." She turned to Kelly. "What does your GPS say? Look for the man that was near Carter…his name is Kaito. Angela and him will stick together."

Kelly's eyes grew cloudy as she focused. In her mind, the world was a map, herself a giant looking down at it, tiny points of light representing everyone she knew. There was Carter's brilliant silver surrounding Vally's blinding pink light. Linda's wiggling blue/green light was nearby, as was Tina's brown, Marshal's blackish gray, Helena's maroon, Hank's nearly clear white and Kelly's own blinking purple. Focusing harder, she moved towards Mackinaw city with on step, looking down and watching as the tarnished gray light that was Kaito, along side three other dim lights, slowly moved away.

It took only a second for this to happen, several more for Kelly to pull herself free. "They seem to be moving on."

Carter nodded, sheathing the sword in the holder Hank had managed to steal from Ando before they left. "Good. Kelly, keep checking them every half an hour. The rest of you…" Carter rolled his neck. "I think we need to bone up on our self defense techniques."

&&&

(The Fugitives-Mohinder's Apartment)

Mohinder frowned, watching the invaders as they milled about his house. "I do not know why we should believe anything you have to say. You broke into our home, you have threatened me, and now you want Molly to help you? How do we know this Valencia is in real danger."

"She is." Madrid snapped. "My baby sister has been kidnapped by some madman, so you'll pardon me if I'm not exactly patient."

"Ah yes…this mysterious Metatron that can fire flames from his hands that effect people's emotions…you must admit that is strange, even when compared to you four."

Lee was seated at the table, sketching aimlessly, while Sergei was busy looking through Mohinder's newspaper clippings. Galatea turned towards the scientist, leaving Madrid to once again try and convince Molly to help them. "You have to understand, Dr. Suresh, that this was our last option. Carter Daniels went off the map, along with Tina Linderman and Valencia." Galatea's mood shifted as Jessica took over. "Linderman…as in Daniel Linderman, the same man that kidnapped Micah…that was using Molly as an experiment. Do you really want to trust his daughter with another little girl."

"The sins of the father…"

"…don't fall to the son?" Lee asked. "Listen Doc…my old man was a jackass. Beat my mom to death…" He paused, remembering his confrontation with Ashleigh, the woman that wore his dead mother's face, "…and mistreated me. When I made Galatea, I did the exact same thing to her…took her new attitude to snap me out of it. The point is, we are our parents' children. I bet ya are a lot like your dad."

Mohinder didn't say a word for a while. "Tell me more about this Carter Daniels."

Madrid frowned. "College kid…21, 22..,maybe 23. Brown hair, blue eyes. Not overly hanesome…boy next door looks. Has a fetish for wearing leather dusters…"

"Among other things." Sergei muttered.

"…and he has my sister convinced he is her daddy."

Mohinder raised an eyebrow at this. "Is that so?"

"Claims Daniel Linderman made Vally out of me and him, that were her parents…wanted to create a super soldier or something like that."

Jessica frowned. "That part…isn't all that far off."

Lee glanced up. "Right…that Micah kid…"

"Dr. Suresh…" Madrid pleaded, "I need to save my sister…please…"

"I'll do it." Molly said. Everyone slowly turned to look at her. "I'll find your sister, Madrid."

&&&

Biddy Bargo stared out her window at the Swiss Alps. It was a sight she had thought she would never see…girls from the poor side of Miami didn't get to go to Europe and stae in chateaus and wear casual clothes that cost more then most prom dresses.

'If only it didn't come at such a cost'.

(Alliance Headquarters-The Swiss Alps)

Her mind was whirling, filled with dark memories. For the last week she had moved about in a daze, blaming the change in time zones for her lack of sleep and thus her moodiness.

Just that day, she had been forced to leave the grand dinner Anthony had invited her and Riker to, complaining of a migraine, rushing to her room and praying for sleep.

Instead, she had laid awake for several hours, faces flashing in her mind.

All the people she had killed.

She'd long since run out of tears. All she could do is watch as her memories ran on a continuous loop, see the horrible acts she had committed.

Only one thing kept her sane.

The hope that the man that had saved her could give her the forgiveness she longed for.

&&&

"How's it coming, Hank?"

Hank focused on the pop can, holding out his hand and staring at it, willing it to do as he commanded. His body flickered in and out of existence as his hand quaked, teeth grit in frustatration as the can slowly began to fade…only to reappear as he collapsed.

"Son of a…"

"Watch it Hank…you'll make Baby Jesus cry with those words." Tina snarked as she sat at the metal table Helena had helped her find, all sorts of holes.

Hank narrowed his eyes. "Lets ask God what is pissing him off more: my language or you and Kelly…"

"HANK!" Linda shouted, pausing from her work at seeing how much water she could remove from the air to scold her student. "Don't you dare say another word."

Carter smacked Hank across the back of the head. "The Bible also says shellfish is evil, and I've seen you eating shrimp. Don't make me whammy your ass."

"Ok, ok…jeez, just because I don't get turned on by the thought of two ladies going at it."

"What are ya, gay?" Marshal asked. Carter, Tina and Marshal shared a look, making it clear how much they were on the otherside of Hank's argument.

Hank glared at the can, swatting at it with his hand. Tina reached up, firing a blast of acid that reduced it to mush.

"There was a 10 cent deposit on that." Linda commented.

Tina scoffed. "Damn Michiganders."

"Why are we doing this again?" Hank said, arms crossed and pouting.

Carter frowned. "We need to make sure we are ready for anything, Hank. The Company managed to find us."

"They got lucky."

"That may be, but we can't rely on luck to get us out of a fight. If Vally hadn't done…whatever the hell it was that she did…you'd be in Company custody and I could be dead." Carter grabbed another can. "Everyone here has an incredible power. But it is nothing without control."

"Omega class." Tina stated.

"Exacty." Carter held out his hand. "Before I took the year to train, all I could do was fire whammy energy…could barely control when it activated. Now…" He grabbed a pencil, charged it with his whammy energy, and threw it at the ground, the energy firing off the instant it hit. "…you guys should be able to gain control like that."

"Can I suggest something." Hank asked. "Maybe begin working with Vally on control? I think we're all tired of her suddenly flaring up."

"She's only 2." Carter reasoned.

"She forced Marshal to stay as a puppy for 7 hours!"

Marshal nodded. "Speaking of the littlest fireball, where is she?"

&&&

Helena smiled as Vally snuggled into bed, her special bear clutched in her arms. "Ready to go to sleep?"

Vally nodded. "Yup! Daddy alweady said goo-night!"

Helena stroked her granddaughter's hair. "I bet he did." She tugged the blankets under Vally's chin. "You know, I really like putting you to bed."

"Why?" Vally asked.

"Because I didn't get to tuck any toddlers into bed before I met you."

"What about daddy?" Vally asked.

Helena shook her head. "I didn't begin tucking your daddy in until he was 7."

"Why?" Vally asked, confused.

The older woman sighed. "Well…you know how you were raised by your grandparents and not by daddy? Well, that was the same with your father." At Vally's confused expression, Helena tried a different approach. "You see…sometimes a mommy and a daddy have a baby, but aren't able to raise them. So they give the baby up to other people who find a mommy and a daddy that want a baby and give the baby to them."

"Daddy's mama and daddy gave him up to nice people?"

Helena thought back to the orphanage, remembering the abuse her precious son had suffered; she remembers too well the bruises and broken ribs Carter had sported when she and Vic had rescued him from that horrid place, as well as the mental scars that had left him a shy stuttering introvert until just a few months ago.

"Gwanma?" Vally asked.

"The important thing is that me and your grandpa Vic adopted your daddy and he became our son."

"Oh." Vally said, thinking about that. "Is that why daddy and his bwother the shock man fought?"

"Shock m…oh, Terrence." Helena said. "Well…Terrence is…Terrence is a bad man…he's mad your father has me as a mommy and you for a daughter." She smiled softly. "But don't worry…Terrence won't hurt us anymore."

&&&

"You failed."

Angela Petrelli glared at Terrence, annoyed. "You would be wise to remember you place."

Terrence merely looked on. "And where is that?"

The New Yorker scoffed. "With the rest of the grunts."

The dark skinned man nodded. "Ya yes…funny thing that…" Terrence snapped forward, grabbing Angela by the throat and hauling her off her feet and against a brick wall. "…you aren't exactly in any place to be giving me commands. The swordsman and his pet are gone, so is the Haitian. All that's left is you…and I've been trained by Linderman to resist your charms." He tightened his grip. "Did you know there a millions of nerves in the body…and there are billions of ways that a signal could get mixed up and cause instant death?" He moved a finger towards her forehead. "Let's see…what was number 1…"

Angela struggled in his grip, face growing pale before Terrence dropped her, the older woman gasping for breath. She managed to glare at him, but Terrence didn't even blink, instead he merely knelt down.

"Bob sends a message…don't interfere. We have things under control, Angela…Bob is running the show, and I'm one of the top dogs…" He leaned in close. "And Angela…my baby brother is mine to deal with. If anyone else tries to hurt him…well…there a billions of ways to kill…even more ways to make torture last forever."

And with that, he left Angela to lay in the snowy street.

&&&

Several hours later, after Molly had eaten and Mohinder had gone over a thousand times what exactly Madrid wanted, the little girl was all set to begin.

"So, how does this work?" Sergei asked.

Molly smiled softly. "I think about a person…and I find them."

"Simple enough." Lee said, holding up his sketch of Vally. He focused, the drawing shivering as a tiny, drone-like Vally appeared on the table, staring straight ahead. Madrid licked her lips, her face draining of color. "I…made her like a doll…figured it would be hard enough…"

"Thank you, Lee." Madrid said, the sight of her sister, even in this strange way, tore at her heart.

Galatea placed a map of the world infront of Molly. The girl would start with that, and slowly work towards more detailed maps until they got an exact location.

"And once you have your location…" Mohinder began.

"We're gone." Galatea said. Jessica took over. "We aren't going to hurt you, Dr. Suresh. We were just desperate."

Mohinder nodded. "It is still a wild tale…I only pray I am making the right decision."

"You are, Doctor." Sergei said. "You are."

Molly picked up a pushpin. "Ok…" She closed her eyes, entering the trance she always did when she began to look for someone. Her hand jerked about, till she pushed a pin into the state of Michigan.

"Carter's home state." Lee said, grabbing a map of Michigan they'd gotten online, suspecting such a thing. "Ok…lets go for a better address."

&&&

Kelly turned her head, surprised to find someone else in her maproom. The young girl looked at Kelly, confused.

"Who are you?" the girl asked.

"Kelly. You?"

"Molly…how are you here?"

Kelly frowned, looking about the white room. "I'm always here…this is my room. You?"

"It's mine too." Molly said. She looked down at the map. "I'm looking for someone."

"Me too." Kelly admitted, amused by the turn of events. "Some bad people. You?"

"A little girl…her sister is worried."

Kelly frowned. "A little girl?"

Molly nodded, slowly moving towards the state of Michigan, then the Upper Peninsula. "Yes…she's between them…in the water…"

Kelly took a step forward. "The woman looking…is her name Madrid?"

Molly nodded. "Yes."

Kelly gulped. "Molly…listen to me carefully…"

&&&

Kelly came out of the trance with a snap. She snapped her head towards the rest of the group, who were still practicing with their powers.

"We might be in trouble."

&&&

Molly snapped out of the trance with a scream. Mohinder instantly was at her side, holding her close.

"Molly?" He whispered.

"They're bad…they're bad…"

"Who's bad, Molly?"

Molly's head turned quickly, her eyes narrowing as she glared at Madrid. "He isn't bad…you are…Vally's happy with him."

Madrid shook. "Did you see him…did Carter…"

"No." Molly said coldly. "I won't help you…you're bad…all of you…"

Mohinder nodded. "You need to leave."

"But…" Madrid began.

Jessica shrugged. "No big deal…" She picked up the map, the pushpin stuck in Mackinaw Island. "We have what we need."

"NO!" Molly shouted, trying to grab the map. "You'll only hurt her…no!"

Jessica moved away, the four slowly leaving the apartment, Molly still whimpering about Madrid's group being bad…

&&&

Merrick smirked as he set down the phone, turning to Riker. "Get BeeBee…we're going to Mackinaw."


	38. The Next Step

Biddy turned, eyes narrowing at her employer. "Do you truly think it is wise for me to be leaving in my condition?"

(Alliance Headquarters- Swiss Alps)

Riker ground his teeth together in annoyance. "This is our chance to get our revenge on those asswipes." He held up his right arm, coldly pointing to the metal spear that had taken the place of his hand. "You forget what Linderman's bastard child did to me? I am going to rip her apart…I'd think you'd want to."

Biddy resisted the urge to say, "No, in fact I want to take them all out to dinner." Instead, she forced herself to be as aloof as possible. "We underestimated them once before, and we ended up in this situation. I'd rather be prepared to spend a long time killing them then merely rush in and do a messy job."

The other man shook in rage, wondering if he could strangle her before her powers activated. "You little bitch…"

"Try it…" Biddy said coldly, wanting a reason to take out the man that had ruined her life.

Riker took a step forward, readying the punch, only to end up on the ground, gasping for breath. It felt like an entire house was crushing his chest, his ribs crunching in like a smashed Coke can.

"Don't tell me my two favorite assassins are fighting…" Merrick said coldly, stepping over Riker's prone form. "I don't like it when my employees fight. You see…when the fight, I'm force to settle things…" He released Riker, the killer panting in agony. "Now then…what seems to be the problem?"

"Riker seems to be under the impression that I will be joining you two on this mission…I am far from ready to do so."

Merrick raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Riker, I apologize. I shouldn't have hurt you for fighting." He closed his fist, Riker grunting in pain. "I should hurt you for not dealing with the little bitch and telling her to fall in line."

Biddy took a step forward, eyes zeroing in on Merrick. "Why not try that on me?"

Merrick smirked. "Why bother…I increase the pressure on you, you just bounce it back into the ceiling." He slowly opened his hand, Biddy whimpering as her body slowly felt like it was expanding, eyes bulging out slightly as lungs began to inflate like balloons. "But decreasing the pressure to near outer space levels…tell me, do your powers work on the inside as well?" He released her, Biddy falling to the ground. "I want you on the helipad in 1 hour…don't make me wait."

&&&

(Governor's Mansion- Mackinaw Island)

"What exactly are you doing now?" Tina asked, arms crossed over her chest. Out in the main yard, Kelly stood with eyes closed, paintball guns in hand.

Helena watched on, stopwatch in hand. "Bloodhound vs. fox."

Kelly slowly turned, point her guns in different directions as she continued to keep her eyes shut. Tina raised an eyebrow as she noticed some footprints appear in the snow, darting to the left before a paintball appeared from nowhere. Kelly, however, had already fired off her own shot, the two of them both cursing as they were hit.

"Hank!" Helena shouted, annoyed.

"I didn't stop!" Hank complained, appearing in front of them. He looked at the big paint glob on his long sleeve sweatshirt and sighed. "I did what you said, run and shoot."

"But you lost focus." Helena said calmly. "Kelly was able to detect you enough to peg you."

"That mean I win?" Kelly asked.

"No, because you're dead too." Helena complained. "You can find people, but if you can't figure out how to avoid them…"

"I nearly threw up just spinning around. You know, trying to go into the GPS mode and stay in the real world is very, very hard."

Helena nodded. "Which is why we are practicing." She held out her hand. "Now, how about one more time, ok?"

Kelly and Hank both grumbled, but did as they were told, returning to their positions. Kelly closed her eyes, focusing on keeping herself in both the real world and her GPS world. Hank, meantime, went invisible, only his footsteps visible.

"Think something bad is coming?" Tina asked.

Helena shrugged. "Always be prepared. Those boyscouts got something right, atleast."

Tina nodded, watching as the woman she was developing real feelings for went after the man that had become Carter Daniels' right hand guy. "Where is your little boyscout? Shouldn't he be going through the ringer?"

"Whatever happened while he was…dead…Carter's now beyond anything I can teach him. He's like Marshal…Omega level, the only thing he can do is come up with new ideas on his own." She chuckled. "Besides…he's on Vally Duty."

Tina nodded. Everyone save Helena and Carter feared Vally Duty. The little girl was a firecracker, and her strange pink energy flames allowed her to screw with too many people and their powers. Tina's stomach grumbled as she remembered how, after trying to get Vally to eat her vegetables, she'd found that her saliva was acidic, melting food to mush before she could eat. It took nearly a day to fix, though Carter blamed Tina's fluxing powers and not, as Tina believed, Valencia.

Helena fixed Tina with a glare. "Don't even suggest I should put Vally through this."

"I wasn't…oh fine." Tina huffed. "She's cute…I love Vally…but the girl is a loose cannon."

Helena didn't say a word about her own theory: That Vally wasn't a loose cannon; merely a child with the powers of a god. FULLY CONTROLLED powers of a god. The former Company Woman had kept a diary of all the different powers used by her companions and how they used them.

She had discovered quite a few interesting things; Hank and Kelly were the worst of the group when it came to control, while Linda could rival Carter in power, she was just scared to do so, scared to explore just how far her powers could go. Tina was lazy, having figured out how to use her powers to the bare minimum. Marshal, her partner, trained by the Company, an Omega level…was tied for first when it came to control.

Her precious son was one of the ones Marshal tied with. Oh, he stuck to his favorite whammy shots and Metatron form…but Helena had seen hints of his imagination. The story of him curing that girl BeeBee…the way he could sense someone that was blue…he be in Vally's room, rocking her before her brain even realized she had begun to have a nightmare.

Vally.

That little girl was smarter then people gave her credit for. More powerful, too.

"Hello…" Tina said, waving her hand in front of Helena's face. "We were talking about Dora the Explorer…"

Helena shrugged. "Actually, we were just about to begin your training session."

"Training?" Tina began, before she was sent flying by a blast of water.

Linda emerged from the backyard, eyes flashing blue. "How was that?"

"Perfect!" Helena called out. She turned to Tina. "You're strong when it comes to attacking and using your powers, but you need to learn how to dodge and evade attacks. Linda needs to work on her targeting, so I figured this would work perfectly."

Tina groaned. "This…is payback for the Dora comment…isn't it?"

"Nah…this is for keeping me up last night with the sounds of you and Kelly going at it. I like my beauty sleep. Linda, try hitting her again!"

"AAAA!"

&&&

"Ah, Daniel…how nice of you to stop by."

Daniel, in his 60 year old form, glared at Anthony. "Cut the bullshit."

Anthony nodded, his smile fading as he motioned for Daniel to enter. "Then I suppose we are here to have a cock measuring contest; see who is the stronger man and able to muscle the other one out?"

"If that is your way of saying that I strong arm you into calling for your attacks on my boy, then yes."

Anthony sighed. "So uncivilized."

Daniel reached out, his old form suddenly young again, 25 and in the prime of life. His muscles rippled as they stretched his once baggy shirt, his mouth curled in a sneer as he choked Anthony. "I should snap your neck."

"Oh please, try." Anthony said as his body instantly became living diamond. "I would enjoy seeing that."

Faced with the unbreaking stone, Daniel let go, fuming. "You have pushed too hard, Anthony…I'll see that you and your family are wiped out for this."

Anthony chuckled. "Daniel…such threats might have worked when you formed the alliance…all those hundreds of years ago…but this is a new age. The alliance must evolve, must grow, if we are to survive."

"And that means killing the Heir of Isaiah, the one we have waited for?"

"If he stands in the way." Anthony said coolly. "Do you forget the Light, Daniel? The one destined to bring about our glory? We can not have her in the care of that human-lover."

Daniel's spine popped as he tensed. "The Alliance was about protecting ourselves…not mass genocide…you sound more and more like my father."

"No no no…it is my son that wants to kill every human. Me? I merely believe the world would be better with…others in charge. People of strong mind and will, people better equipped to handle the dangers of the world. Humanity is weak…they are children that have found their father's handgun.

"For too long, we have merely concerned ourselves with our own affairs. And each time we believe we can let them handle things on their own, they make matters worse. The enslavement of Africa. The destruction of the environment. For the love of God, man, we had our chance to kill Hitler and we held our hand. 'Let humanity deal with it'. Millions dead, Daniel…millions.

"And then, once they are on the brink of killing each other once and for all, we have to step in and save them. How many of our people died on D-Day alone, just to ensure the idiotic Americans weren't slaughtered on Normandy?

"We can no longer stand by and be silent. We can not longer let them do what they wish. We must be the parent and raise them right. Maybe after several thousand years of our teachings, they will be able to manage themselves."

Daniel frowned, shocked as how far things had gone wrong. "We are not to sit by passively…but we can't rule them! We must be their protectors…their silent guardians. That is our mission…no more, no less."

Anthony scoffed. "Men like my son will never accept that, Daniel. Merrick will not rest till he is king of the world, humanity either under his heel or dead."

"And my Carter will never accept that, Anthony."

"Then I guess we must see whose son is stronger."

&&&

"Mmm….daddy?"

Carter smiled, stroking Vally's silky hair. "Have a nice nap, baby girl?"

"No…yawn….baby." Vally said simply, stretching. "Big girl."

"That you are." Carter said with a laugh, lifting his little girl into his lap. Vally giggled as her father tickled he sides, wiggling his tongue as he did so. "And utterly cute!"

"EEEE!" Vally squealed, trying to escape. Carter laughed, lifting his daughter high in the air, her little legs kicking wildly.

"Look at ya flying, princess. Look at ya flying."

Vally paused, blinking. "I no fly."

"Oh?"

Valencia nodded. "Yup, no fly." Her eyes flashed pink.

"And…what exactly do you…do."

Vally stared at him for several moments, her face passive, before she giggled. "Silly daddy." She held out her arms. "Weeeeeee!"

Carter merely raised an eyebrow, wondering it were merely a child's attention span…or if the two year old had actually deflected his questioning.

But whatever the reason…he decided he had more pressing issues.

Like letting his little girl fly.

&&&

Seth flipped open his phone. "Yes sir?"

"No luck with Anthony…but I have the feeling Merrick is our biggest concern." Daniel said.

"He was always a bit crazy, sir." The Frenchman said.

"And now he wants to take over the world. How long will it take you to reach your destination?"

Seth thought that over. "Speed vs. Safety?"

Daniel sighed. "As much as I would want to focus on one, we have to go for a mix."

"That will only make things worse." Seth said simply. "When you mix…you do neither well."

"But you do neither horrible." Daniel answered. "Just get there as fast and safely as you can…and protect my family."

"Yes sir."

"Seth…you do whatever you have to…you protect them."

"…yes sir."

&&&

"Hey Carter?" Linda called out, her voice at unease. "You mind coming out here?"

Carter looked up at Vally, who was still held high in his arms, who looked down at him, confused. Bringing her back down, Carter walked towards the front door, surprised to find the gang at full attention on the porch.

Helena was at full ready, as was Tina and Kelly. Hank stood to one side, fists clenched, while Linda slowly focused on the ball of water in her hand. Marshal, in his hybrid form, snarled at the intruders.

"Maddy?" Vally whispered.

"Hi baby…come to big sis, ok?" Madrid held out a hand, motioning for the toddler to come towards her.

"Maddy!" Vally squealed happily, wiggling in her father's arms…

….only for Carter to hold on tighter.

"Daddy?" Vally asked, confused.

"Tina…Kelly…get Vally out of here, now." Carter commanded, passing the wiggling little girl over to Kelly. "If you don't hear the safe word, kill however approaches."

"Daddy…?" Vally questioned, eyes brimming with tears. "Maddy-mama is here…awen't you happy?"

Carter ignored her, instead walking towards Madrid, eyes flashing. Madrid and Galatea braced themselves, Lee standing in the rear. "You should have left us alone…you've only endangered her."

Madrid touched the sidearm strapped to her waist, cloning a duplicate in each hand. "You stole my sister, you freak…I'd hunt you down to the gates of Hell to save her."

"And now you bring the devil to the gate." Carter snapped. "I don't know who the traitor is…but I won't let them get word back to their commander."

"You're outnumbered." Helena said sternly, stepping forward. "IF you stay…we'll protect ourselves."

"If you keep Vally locked away, we'll save her." Sergei commented.

"You're outnumbered." Hank said.

Lee held out his arms, summoning 30 thug clones. "Try counting again…Carter…we don't have to do this."

"Actually, he does." Marshal said, nodding towards Galatea. "Ready for round 2?"

"Oh yea."

Linda clenched her fist. "This is the final warning."

"Daddy?" Vally called out in a panic. "Maddy?!?"

Carter grit his teeth, bursting into silver flames. "**Behold the Voice of God**."

Madrid smirked. "I'm going to enjoy shutting that mouth of yours."

"DADDY! MADDY! NONONO!" Vally screamed as Kelly and Tina hauled her inside. "NO!"

Carter and Madrid locked eyes, nodding…before leaping at each other.

Vally's screams drowned out by her parents' battle cries.


	39. Heroes Collide

Carter swerved to his right, just avoiding several of Sergei's barbs. Fists glowing, he launched himself at Madrid, the two rolled through the snow and away from the group. Madrid struggled to free herself, mind growing fuzzy being so close to Carter's whammy energy.

Grabbing his hand, Madrid twisted with all her strength, Carter bellowing as she bent the bones in his wrist back. He released his hold, kicking at the actress and separating the two of them. Madrid glared at him, going for her guns and firing, Carter just managing to dive behind some trees.

"Are you insane?" He shouted, charging up a whammy blast.

"You kidnapped my baby sister, you freak! I'm not insane, I'm pissed!" Madrid roared, firing into the trunk of the tree.

Carter was learning quickly the problem that arose when fighting someone that was a copier: As long as they had a loaded weapon on their person, they could endlessly summon ammo. Already, Madrid had 4 empty guns at her feet, and she was close to finishing off the 5th. Two more bullets, and she let the fifth gun drop, raising the sixth while copying the seventh.

"Oh yea, I took my daughter away from a crazy Russian, a hot tempered strong woman, a man that tried to kill me and her emotionally stunted, pampered sister. My God, lock me up and throw away the key!"

"SHE ISN'T YOUR DAUGHTER!"

Carter laughed bitterly. "Keep singing that tune, Madrid, keep singing that tune. In the end, you're just to have to accept that Vally isn't your sister, she's our test tube baby. You want to do what is right for her? Then grow up, stop bitching, and be the mother that girl needs!" He swung around, firing a blast of energy that sent Madrid to her knees. Carter stormed towards her, grabbing her by the hair and forcing her to look at him. "Because until you do, I'm going to make sure you don't hurt her." And with that, he cocked back his fist and drove it into her gut.

&&&

Marshal snarled as he struck Galatea, his claws digging into her skin and cutting rivets of blood. Not to be outdone, Galatea's hand lashed out, gripping Marshal by the neck and slamming him into the ground again and again.

"Why do you fight?" Galatea asked, in tone confused even as Jessica cheered her one. "Why do you care about these people? Your only connection is to the woman…" She nodded at Helena, who was currently dodging attacks from Lee's clones. "And even then, I have not seen enough to understand why you stand with her."

Marshal roared, bucking up and smashing Galatea's chin with the back of his head, sending her tottling back. "Why? Because I have seen how much Carter loves his daughter. I've watched him in this month give more love to that child then most will receive in their lifetime. I have this group of strangers, old friends and even enemies come together, all to protect a little girl most have no stake in. Why? Out of loyalty." He punched Galatea in the gut several times before tossing her into a snow bank. "So tell me…why do you fight?"

Galatea didn't have an answer.

&&&

Sergei fired off several barbs, Linda zig zaging as best she could. She was trying to keep the battle near the house, to protect the tourists and civilians on the island that could easily step into the path of a black barb.

Holding her hands out as she ran in a circle around Sergei, Linda forced her eyes shut and focused on the ground below her.

"You have been misled." Sergei said coldly. "This Carter Daniels is not to be trusted. He is a monster that will take the child's innocence and shatter it like dry clay."

Linda's eyes snapped open as she tightened the circle she was running in. "If you think that, then you are the one that has been misled."

Sergei scoffed. "I have seen the power Carter wields. He believes he is some sort of Voice of God, and deems himself worthy of commanding others. He is power hungry and delusional."

"I saw Carter's dead body." Linda countered. "I was there when his mother found him, cold and still. There was no life in him, no spark. Then, weeks later, I find him alive, breathing and living and protecting Vally. And I knew that I was seeing a mira-AAAAAAAAA!"

Linda grabbed her leg, gasping as she tore the black barb from her calf. Sergei raised his hand, targeting in on her. "You know nothing."

Linda's eyes flashed, a cyclone of water, the one she had been making while running, shot from the ground, sending Sergei hurtling through the air.

"Then I prefer to know nothing then to know your everything." She muttered, watching Sergei smash to the ground.

&&&

Helena pulled a hunting knife from her boot, using it to slice into the clone that was coming up behind her and rip out his jugular. The clones never made a sound when she sliced the, never squeaking or yelping or crying out.

The former Company Woman didn't know if that was a blessing or a curse.

She had thought about, in the past, what could have driven her son to unleashing his powers as he did in the Mint. What could have forced him to commit the very act that lead to his death.

Now, as she was being pulled to the ground by Lee's mindless clones, Helena wished she could just explode as well.

&&&

Lee held up his hand, his cloud of locust swirling about him as he searched for Hank. The slightly younger man was proving hard to find then he had expected, managing to avoid the swarm that would give away his location.

'thank God he doesn't have a gun.' Lee thought as he continued to walk about, his locust buzzing loudly.

A movement to his right caught his attention, moving enough so that Hank's punch only grazed his cheek. Lee Swung wildly, hitting something hard, Hank grunting before he rolled out of the way and back onto the bare road.

"I won't let you hurt Carter again." Hank's voice rang out.

"I'm not trying to hurt Carter. I'm here to help Madrid."

"Helping her will hurt Carter. Taking away his daughter will only shatter his heart."

Lee nodded. "And you don't think it hurt Madrid when he took Vally?" He frowned, sending a wave of locust where he thought Hank was. "Madrid has been raising Vally since their parents died, and Carter just swept in and stole her away."

"He didn't steal her. From the way I hear it, there is a spy in your group working for my family."

"Your family…you're related to the people that want to kidnap Vally?"

"Unfortunately. But unlike your spy, I have Carter's interests at heart…and Vally's."

Lee frowned, the locust not as enraged as they had been moments earlier. "So we both want to protect Vally?"

"Oh yea." Hank said.

"…then why the hell are we fighting?"

Hank paused, slowly reappearing next to Lee. "I…I don't know."

&&&

"NO!" Vally screamed, pink flames flying in every direction. Tina and Kelly were trying to hold the girl down, having already wrapped her up tightly in a bed sheet to keep her from darting out of the room. They were now dodging blasts from her eyes, the energy firing off as she threw her tantrum.

"Vally, calm down!" Tina pleaded.

"NO! DADDY! MADDY!" She cried out, struggling to get free. Kelly wrapped her arms around the little girl, hugging her tightly. "LET GO LET GO LET GO!" She squealed, little feet kicking from where they stuck out of the blanket. The whole scene would have been cute, if not for the life and death struggle going on outside the mansion.

"Vally, sweetie, listen…your mom and dad just need time to talk things out…"

"YOU BITCH!" Carter roared, his voice echoing up through the window. "You nearly blew my head off!"

"Sorry, next time I won't miss!" Madrid snapped back.

"I'm going to reduce your brains to mush!" Carter bellowed right before Tina slammed the window shut.

"See…just talking…everyone is happy."

Vally stared at them, brow furrowed.

"Not buying that, huh?" Tina asked.

"….DADDY! MADDY!" She screamed, thrashing violently.

&&&

Helena dodged a punch, only to get a nasty kick to the head that sent her spinning. Arms grabbed her, pulling her in all directions, a scream breaking from her lips as she fought to free herself.

BOOM!

Helena just managed to take a breath before the wall of water fell on her, clouding her vision and chilling her to the bone. She felt herself hit the ground as the wave rushed over her, pulling the clones away and leaving her fighting against the current. It was the weirdest feeling, to know one was on dry land yet feel like they had just taken a dip in the ice Great Lakes.

As suddenly as the wave had appeared, it was gone, leaving only Helena and Linda, the professor offering Mrs. Daniels a hand.

"C-c-c-couldn't have used warmer w-w-w-w-water?" Helena chattered.

Linda held up a hand, pulling the water from Helena's clothing and hair, drying her instantly. "Sorry about that, had to act quick."

"Not complaining." Helena muttered, rubbing her cold arms. "Any sign on the others?"

Marshall grunted as he carried Galatea's knocked out form towards the two women, gently setting her down in the snow. "Guess I'm 2-and-0 when it comes to fighting her."

"Lets hope we can figure out how there won't be a next time." Lee said, him and Hank walking together. The artist held up his hands when Helena glared at him. "We've come to an agreement…I never wanted to hurt Carter…I like the kid. Just got roped into this mess…"

Hank nodded. "I can vouch for him…Lee just wants to help us get things settled."

Helena nodded. "That's fine and dandy…where is my son?"

"Fine and dandy?" Lee questioned, the women just glaring at him. "Shutting up." Hank made a quiet whipping noise. "When your girlfriend can rip you in half, you learn to behave." He muttered.

Helena and Linda, meanwhile, were watching as Carter and Madrid continued to wage battle. It was an interesting fight, as whenever Carter got close enough to Madrid, she would open fire, leading to Carter backing off. But when Madrid would try and capitalize, Carter would fire back with his whammy energy and drive HER back, leading to a stalemate.

That didn't mean that the two were being quiet, however.

No, Carter and Madrid were throwing insults at each other left and right, both claiming to hold Vally's best interests at heart and that the other one would only end up hurting her.

"Its like Krammer vs. Krammer, except with superpowers." Hank muttered.

"They certainly are passionate." Linda agreed.

"I can't tell if they hate each other or are in love." Helena commented. When the others just stared at her, Helena shrugged. "Hate and love exist on a thin line." Watching the fight for a few more minutes, knowing none of them could go down there to help without injuring themselves, Helena finally turned back to Linda. "Where's your sparring buddy?"

&&&

Tina held up her hand, acid dripping from her fingers. "I said back off."

Sergei, bits of snow clumped to his jacket smiled. Vally had, moments earlier, become extremely upset, leading Kelly to do a scan that revealed someone not in their group was coming. Moments later, Sergei had entered, appearing way to calm and claiming he'd been sent to get Vally.

Tina and Kelly didn't buy it.

"I'm just here for Vally…"

"We know that…but you aren't getting her." Kelly said sternly.

Sergei shrugged. "Trust me…I am…you can either give her up now, or…" He raised an eyebrow.

"Or what?" Tina asked right before the air was crushed from her lungs, Kelly's GPS screaming instantly in warning.

Riker laughed as he stretched into the room, having fired his arm from outside to capture Tina. "Or acid girl gets it." He warned, raising his bladed wrist. "You even send a drop of acid out and I'll cut you!"

"NO!" Vally screamed, eyes flashing as her flames exploded. Sergei, Kelly, Tina and Riker blinked as they suddenly found themselves powerless. "no." Vally said sternly, wiggling free from the blanket.

Sergei licked his lips. "The Power of the Light…I didn't think she had it in her." He pulled a gun from his jacket and pressed it to Vally's head, Riker doing the same as he aimed his weapons at Kelly and Tina. "But try and block this, Little Miss Sunshine."

&&&

"DADDY! MADDY!"

Carter and Madrid froze as they heard Vally's panicked cries, followed by the rest of the group yelping in pain. The two glanced at each other, rushing back towards the mansion…

BOOM!

Carter and Madrid groaned as they were hit with the weight of a freight train from above, sending them to their knees. Each gasped, struggling to stand up, as the pressure slowly lessened.

Finally managing to look up, the two found Riker holding Tina and Kelly at gunpoint, Biddy beside him with her own guns trained on the rest of the group, who had been knocked down just like them.

"Sergei?" Madrid whispered in shock, the sight of her friend, the man she had feelings… she couldn't explain but feelings none the less…for, holding a gun under the chin of a scared but stubborn Valencia. "It…it was you?"

Sergei chuckled. "Even the slowest horse finishes the race." He mocked, walking closer. "You know, I was scared to death when Carter figured it out, but you, my beautiful little idiot, you drove away the only people that could really help you. I'm surprised you didn't question the fact that the only people to stick with you were people that barely knew you…that the father of your child and your prison best friend decided to leave."

Madrid glared at Sergei, slowly trying to move forward, only to be crushed again.

"Shhh…don't worry…don't worry…" Sergei said mockingly, "it's ok…we're going to take good care of the little tike."

"Vally…" Madrid whispered, even as Carter tried to gather strength to blast Sergei, the pressure having never left him and making it hard to focus.

Sergei chuckled. "Don't worry, Madrid…when we're done with her, Vally will be the ultimate weapon to secure the Alliance control of the Earth. Now that is quite an accomplishment!"

"Sergei…leave them alone." A man called out. "We have other matters to deal with."

Sergei stepped away, Vally still struggling in his arms, revealing to Carter and Madrid the ringleader of this kidnapping.

"Dad?" Hank whispered in shock.

Merrick Delpine smiled like a wolf as he looked down at Carter and Madrid. "Why so much anger, Mr. Daniels…Miss Alverez? Why so much anger?" His face twisted and he slammed both hands down, Madrid and Carter screaming in pain.


	40. Stolen

(The Governor's Mansion, Mackinaw Island)

Vally whimpered, eyes squeezed shut as Carter and Madrid cried out in pain as they were driven deeper into the snow and dirt. Sergei still held her tight, the stench of stale whisker and sweat filling her nose and making her gag. The Russian merely squeezed her harder, causing the toddler to squeak in pain.

"Vally!" Carter groaned out, struggling to help her. He made it to one knee before he found himself slammed down once more by the hand of Merrick.

"You really must learn to accept things, Mr. Daniels." Merrick taunted. "Tell me…do you know what the definition of insanity is?" He lowered his hand slightly, Carter and Madrid grunting in pain. "It is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." He chuckled, releasing them slightly. "But if you enjoy being crushed to death, then by all means."

"Should I kill then now, boss?" Riker asked, leveling his spear hand at Tina.

"No." Merrick said coldly.

Riker didn't like the sound of that one bit. "What do you mean, no? That little bitch cost me my hand…"

"And I will take the other one if you don't shut it!" Merrick snarled, marching towards Vally and Sergei. "The girl is all that matters. Every moment we waste here we give Daniel's smokey pet another chance to arrive and stop us."

"Let him come!" Riker argued. "I can take the wuss out…"

Merrick's face clenched in frustration as he closed his hand, Riker screaming as his chest seemed to cave in. "Do not stand there and question me, boy. I was one of the strongest beings on this planet before you were snuggled in your mother's womb." He released him, Riker panting harshly.

"Monster." Kelly hissed.

Merrick placed a hand to his chest. "You wound me."

"Kidnapping a little girl, abusing people just because you can…if that isn't a monster, then you're close."

The older man sighed, a slight smile forming on his lips as he walked towards the brash former-editor. "And what? You're the mob of peasants here to decry me and burn my castle to the ground." He leaned in, clicking his tongue. "Stronger people then you have tried."

Sergei shook Vally slightly, the child crying quietly. "Would you shut up?" He snapped in annoyance, only to find Vally being lifted from his arms before a fist shot out and nearly broke his nose.

"Don't." Biddy said coldly, cradling Vally in her arms. "Don't make this any worse then it has to be." She rubbed the toddler's back, murmuring soft, comforting words. "Merrick…can we just go already?"

"About time someone began talking sense." Merrick said, giving Carter one final smash. "Ya know, I'm a bit disappointed. I thought this would be a really epic battle, titan vs. titan from what I'd heard about the oh-so-great Metatron." He sighed sadly. "Rather anti-climatic."

Merrick slowly walked away from Carter and Madrid, making his way to where the others lay in the snow, finally coming to their senses. Helena shook her head violently, trying to clear the cobwebs, only to find herself staring up at Merrick.

"You know…I hated you before…when your kid bullied my kid…now I can't wait to see you die."

Shrugging, Merrick merely kicked her in the kick. "You're not even worthy of my power, mortal." He paused, looking down at his son, disappointment clear in his eyes. "Hank, Hank, Hank…you threw everything away…everything…for this boy that isn't worthy to polish your shoes. By God's good graces, what the hell were you thinking? All the power…all the wealth and…and my God, you should see the girl we had lined up to be your bride! Everything, Hank…you spat on everything."

Hank glared at his father. "Wouldn't have spat on it if I had know what you were offering, dad."

Merrick raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Duh, you big idiot." Hank quipped, struggling to stand up. "How can I spit in the face off everything you and your Alliance stand for when you never TOLD ME ABOUT IT!" He was now screaming at his father, Merrick utterly startled. "HELLO?!? I was attacked by a man with glowing fists, a little Asian man told me to help him…and you never said a word!"

"Uh…" Merrick stammered, obviously flustered that Hank wasn't denouncing him, waiving the "Carter is Great!" banner.

Hank was now pacing, everyone staring at him in confusion. "What is the point of creating this secret society within a secret society…working day in, day out to rise in power…if you never tell your son and heir what the hell you are doing?" Hank screamed in frustration.

"Hank?" Kelly whispered.

"Oh shut the hell up!" Hank snarled. He whipped around, pointing at his father. "Maybe if you had been straight with me about the family business, I wouldn't be hanging out with the dyke and the stammering idiot!" He shook his head ruefully. "I…I mean…I have been so confused dad…you know I have powers, right?" He faded from view, only to reappear. "I didn't know what to think…how to deal with it." 

Sergei slowly leaned in to Riker. "Whose side is he on again?"

Riker shrugged.

"Hank…"

"Don't." Hank said sternly. "I am going to finish this." He gathered himself, licking his lips. "You could have been helping me, dad. All this time…since I was a kid, you could have been helping me…but no…no, you never even bothered to let me know the truth about my family." He closed his eyes. "You know how big of a betrayal that is? That you couldn't trust me enough to let me know all about you?"

"It is tradition, Hank." Merrick said softly, wondering if perhaps, for the first time in his life, he had miscalculated. "My father didn't know, I didn't…not until your 23rd birthday…that is the tradition. I…I had it all planned…"

Hank smiled weakly. "Ya mean it, dad?"

"Yea…I do."

"Hank…" Linda grunted. "You can't be…"

"Serious?" Hank asked snidely. "oh…I am…" he walked towards Carter. "Like I would ever be friends with you…side with you…you wrote an article that ruined me, Carter. I remember it perfectly, that April day when I first say that article in black ink…taunting me. I swore on that April day to make you pay…"

Carter's eyes flashed. "You used me, you son of a bitch. You were using me for glory."

"Damn straight." Hank said. "I was going to be the hero. After we saved the world, I was going to claim all the fame and fortune…and leave you out high and dry. Always was…then you had to die…" he shook his head. "Couldn't make it stick, huh?"

Carter spat at him, Merrick crushing him again.

"That's enough, dad…let him act like a baby. He just got beat by a master tactician…"

"I got beat by nothing more then a snake, you asshole." Carter snarled, raising a glowing fist.

"Do it…" Hank said coldly, leveling his gun at Kelly's head. "And I blow the lipstick lezzie's brains out, sending her sinning ass the hell."

"Hell is reserved for traitors, Hank, not people like Kelly."

Hank leaned in close. "I'll remember that." He patted Carter's cheek before he stepped away. "Don't worry…I'll take care of Vally."

Carter glanced at Biddy. "The same way she will?" Biddy tried to hide her cringe. "I've seen her mind, Hank…"

"Shut it." Hank snapped, kicking Carter in the gut. "I've listened to you for far too long. Dad…lets go."

"DADDY!" Vally screamed in a panic as Biddy was forced to carry her toward the waiting ice cutter boat Merrick had chattered to get them to the island. "MADDY!"

"Valencia!" Madrid screamed, trying to get up even as Merrick reapplied the pressure to her. "NO!"

&&&

"Terrence?"

Terrence looked up at Elle, drawing his focus away from the patterns he had been drawing in the countertop with his finger. "What?"

(Terrence and Elle-Upper Peninsula, Michigan)

"I was asking you how long we have to stay here." Elle complained, glancing over at a trucker that weighed close to 400 pounds who was giving her kissy lips.

"Till we find my baby brother." Terrence muttered.

The trucker licked his lips before turning back to his Grand Slam breakfast, yanking his pants up and hiding his massive buttcrack. Elle cringed back in disgust, electricity dancing on her fingers, only for a sharp pain to fill said digits. Terrence wiggled his own fingers in annoyance.

"No…powers." He said sternly.

Elle frowned. "Just one zap…I'll make it look like a heart attack!"

"No." Terrence snapped.

"But…"

"NO!"

"Spoil sport."

&&&

"Oh God no."

Seth hurried over to Carter, lifting him from the Carter-shaped crater in the ground. Pulling him free, he quickly checked for a pulse, sighing with relief when he felt the strong heartbeat.

"What happened here?"

"Merrick." Tina said coldly from where she stood, checking Kelly over for injuries. "Merrick happened."

"Vally?" Seth asked.

"Gone." Madrid answered, emotion drained from her voice, still staring out at where Merrick had taken Vally.

"We'll get her back." Galatea said coldly. "And then we'll kill Sergei."

"Carter…" Lee called out, the Metatron seemingly out of it. "I…I know we haven't done anything to earn your trust, but…we want to help you get some payback. We didn't believe you, we let that bastard Sergei take your daughter…and we'll help you get her back."

Carter nodded slowly, snapping out of whatever spell he'd been under. "Yes…yes…thank you Lee. Kelly…"

"I'll begin tracking Hank…thank God for him."

"Thank God for him?" Tina questioned in annoyance. "Yea, thank God we have something to track, and something to pound on." She shook her hands, acid slowly forming. "Whatever Vally did to all of us, it's wearing off."

"That's good." Linda said. "We all need to be at full strength when we go after Vally."

Seth frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Vally." Linda said. "And us getting her back."

"You can't do that." Seth said.

"Excuse me?" Helena questioned.

Seth sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "You have to come with me. We're going to meet your grandfather, he'll set up negotiations…"

"Negotiations?" Tina snarled. "We just got stabbed in the back…twice…and we are going to NOT fight back?"

"You can't." Seth reasoned. "The Alliance…there are rules, regulations…policies and traditions that have to be followed."

"HE KIDNAPPED MY SISTER!" Madrid bellowed in outrage, raising her gun and aiming right at Seth's head.

"And if I had managed to get here in time, I could have done something." He looked at the group sadly. "But now, if I allow you to attack, Merrick's father, Anthony, can declare it an act of war. He will gather his allies…all of us could be arrested and kept imprisoned for years…"

"And the alternative?" Lee asked, growing more and more disgusted with the Frenchman.

Seth didn't notice the group's disgust. "We will return to Daniel's main quarters. He will arrange a meeting with Anthony, and he will try to negotiate a way for all of you to be a part of Vally's life…"

"A part…we're her family!" Madrid snapped, not realizing she had grouped Carter in with herself. "She belongs with us!"

"Not in the eyes of the Alliance. To them…she belongs to Merrick…I'm sor-"

**"PANIC!"**

Seth barely had time react before Carter was on him, firing blast after blast of whammy energy. The rest of the group watched on in horror and curiosity as Carter began to throttle the Frenchman, silver flames firing from his skin as he brutally punched Seth again and again and again.

"You son of a bitch!" Carter snarled, slamming Seth's head hard into the ground. The others, suddenly aware of what was going on, rushed forward, dragging the enraged man off Seth's black-and-blue body. "Trying to sell my daughter up river to save your hide? I'll kill you!"

"Carter!" Helena shouted. "As much as I want him dead…"

"Let him do it." Madrid snapped, aiming her guns at Seth. "But I want seconds."

"We'll take him out at the same time…we should do more things together as parents…kill him, kill our daughter's kidnappers…" Carter struggled to free himself.

"Carter!" Helena pleaded, she herself becoming infected by Carter's randomly flying whammy blasts.

Seth groaned, trying to shake off the effects of Carter's whammies. "There…there is nothing I can do. Anything else is an act of war…"

"Well then, you've solved the problem." Carter said sinisterly. "Merrick wants a war…I will give him his war!" He shrugged out of Helena's grasp and began to pace. "I will tear him and his family to shreds. I will make them beg for death, and then I will refuse it. I will torture them for years, watch them shatter, and only when they no longer fear death will I give it to them.

"And then, Seth, I am going to find my grandfather. And he is going to tell me every single member of the Alliance. And I am going to hunt them down, each one, every man, woman and child. And if they decide to stand in my way, I will throw them out of my path! Merrick wanted a war…I will give him his war! I will wipe the Alliance from the face of the Earth, and I will see to it that there is no trace of your organization left! Merrick just got his worse wish…I'm coming…and nothing is going to stop me!" He spun around, away from the shaken Frenchman, and began to bark orders to the rest of the group. "Lee!"

"Y…yea?" The Boston native stammered.

"Begin drawing…we need an army. Galatea, Tina."

Tina frowned. "Uh…you ok Carter?"

Galatea nodded. "You are a little high strung…"

"We need guns." Carter snapped, oblivious to their concerns. "lots of them. Mom, we need transportation…I want a van, a motorcycle and whatever else you can grab."

Helena placed a hand on Carter's shoulder. "Calm down…"

Carter visibly deflated. "…I'm scared, mom." He closed his eyes. "We're on our own with this…and she is so small…I can't…can't let her down…"

"We'll get her back, pumpkin." Helena whispered.

Madrid nodded. "With or without frenchie's help…we're getting her back."

Carter smiled weakly at Madrid. "Thank you…" he smiled softly. "Shouldn't be too scared…Hank will protect her."

"Hank?" Linda questioned. "Carter…I know you thought he was our friend…but he just betrayed us…we can't rely on him…" She paused when she noticed Kelly and Carter begin to laugh. "What…?"

"Hank is going to be so…so disappointed…" Kelly said with a smile, "…that you had so little faith in him."

"What?" Linda questioned, the others just as surprised."

"Hank…Hank said I slammed him with an article in the April edition of the M Times…" Carter laughed.

"And you did." Helena responded.

Carter chuckled. "I published that article in March…not April."

"What?" Linda asked.

"March, not April! Hank…heeheehee…he would never…never forget that!" Carter doubled over, laughing hysterically.

Kelly nodded, not laughing as hard as Carter, but amused at the rest of the group's slack jawed expressions. "The man memorized that entire paper…he can recite the entire thing verbatim. He wouldn't make a mistake like that."

"Then…why did he say it?" Madrid asked.

"It was a clue!" Carter barked out between ha-has. "A wink behind the shoulder! Hank is a _**spy**_…he's still on our side!"

&&&

Hank leaned over to Biddy as the two rode on the ice cutter, Vally still cradled in the woman's arms in a fitful sleep, the rest of Merrick's crew up front. "Carter told me back there I could trust you."

Biddy was visibly surprised. "how…?"

"Me and Carter…we know each other too well." Hank glanced around before whispering softly enough so even Vally couldn't hear, "So…you willing to help us take down my dad?"

Biddy gave him a very BeeBee-like smile. "Oh yea."


	41. Tempest

Lee looked up at Madrid, handing her another long roll of paper. "What do you think?"

Madrid glanced at the figure Lee had drawn. "Looks as ugly as sin."

"Perfect." Lee grinned. "50 copies, no staples."

"Bite me." Madrid muttered as she rapidly made copies.

Lee waggled his eyebrows. "I think your baby daddy would have a problem with that."

"Stop saying that!" Madrid snarled, just as the entire room shook. "Damn it…" Storming towards the stairs, Madrid marched up to the door and threw it open, revealing the tempest that had been muted within the cabin. Winds howls, rain fell like daggers, and waves the size of red woods heaved all around the group.

(Lake Huron, 100 miles south of Mackinaw)

"Left!" Kelly screamed over the roar of the storm, Helena turning the wheel. "A little more."

Helena gripped the wheel hard, trying to fight the crashing, churning lake. "This is suicide!" She cried out.

Carter, secured to the bow of the ship, sneered at that, sending his courage-inducing whammy energy out like a floodlight. "I was born in Texas, on dusty soil! The desert has claim to my body, and I will not anger it by dying in this drizzle!" His flames exploded all the more violently. "Besides, I made a promise to a girl and a monster, and I plan not to disappoint either!"

Originally, Carter had wanted them to drive after Merrick and the rest, giving chase of the highways until they caught up with the toddler-snatcher.

However, Helena had pointed out that with the head start Merrick had gained, they would likely never catch up with him, especially if he finally decided to take to the skies. The group all agreed that, from what little they knew about the alliance, it would not be wise to face them on their home turf.

"Can't we at least get Age of Aquarius to focus on the waves comes at us?" Tina asked, looking very green.

"Kelly, how much time will we lose?" Madrid asked as she made her way towards Carter, grabbing a rope and clipping it to the guardrail.

"5 hours!" Kelly called out.

Madrid and Carter looked at each other. "LINDA, FULL SPEED AHEAD!"

Linda, who was standing at the back of the boat, held out her hands, forcing the water behind them to fire them like a rock up the face of one of the waves. Marshal was at her side, using all his strength to keep Linda from being thrown overboard.

"Left! LEFT!" Kelly screamed.

"Can't…too…hard…" Helena panted.

"Oh, let me!" Galatea said happily, snatching the wheel and giving it a hard jerk, even as Carter sent a blast of energy before them, illuminating a wall of dark water. "Uh…never mind!"

"No takey-backsies!" Helena exclaimed.

"HOLD!" Carter roared. "Bring us straight at it! Lift us into the sky!"

"Whatever you say, Barbossa!" Tina groaned, rushing to the rail and loosing her lunch.

Carter and Madrid merely looked at each other, a look that could only be held by parents driven mad with grieve and revenge, the whammy energy making them feel more courage then they rightly should…and laughed as the ship began to crest the wave.

&&&

"Give it!" Vally cried out, reaching for the sippy cup, only for Sergei to yank it away. "Give it!" She whined.

"Say the line." He taunted.

Vally sat back in the limo, glaring at the Russian. She wanted to say a lot of things, but her tummy was hurting so bad…"Give it!" She yelled, before burst into tears.

Sergei flashed a wicked grin even as the toddler cried. "Say the line."

"What the hell are you doing?" Hank demanded in frustration.

(The Delpines-3 hours outside of Flint, Michigan)

"Just having some fun with the glow-worm." Sergei said simply.

"Its cruel." Biddy muttered, reaching to grab the cup for Vally, only for Sergei to pull it away. Beside him, Merrick and Riker ignored the rest of the group as they planned out their next move. Merrick had made it clear Sergei could do whatever he wanted to Vally, as long as she wasn't hurt or killed. It wasn't kindness that drove that this command, merely the wish to protect his property.

"She can have it when she says the line." Sergei said simply, Biddy cradling Vally in her arms, rocking her back and forth.

Hank glared at Sergei. "I signed on to do what was right by the world, not…torture a child. Give her…"

"Swiper…hic…no swiping." Vally mumbled.

Hank and Sergei slowly turned to look at the embarrassed little girl as she quoted the much-hated Dora the Explorer.

"See…was that so hard?" Sergei asked, reaching out to give her the sippy cup…

…only for Vally to bite his skin between his thumb and pointer finger.

"BITCH!" Sergei roared as blood ran down his palm and onto his pants.

Vally flashed a grin. "We did it, we did it." She mocked, singing the Dora song. Biddy snorted, as did Merrick and Riker as Sergei shook with rage.

"You little…" Sergei extended his hand, ready to fire on Vally…

Several things happened at once.

Biddy threw herself around Vally, protecting the toddler.

Hank drew his gun and pressed it to Sergei's temple.

Merrick held up his hand, ready to crush Sergei with a thought.

Vally began to glow like a roman candle.

Riker licked his lips. "uh…could we not do this in the moving vehicle?"

The group all glanced at him before settling back down, though Hank remained tense. "When we meet up with grandpa and Aunt Ashleigh, we're having a long talk about how you treat prisoners, dad."

Merrick smirked. "Oh, believe me…we are."

&&&

Carter stumbled into the tiny cabin, his entire body lax and weighted. It had taken hours for them to bust out of the storm, and an hour more for the sun to come out. Now, there were nearing the bay they needed, the water was calm, and Lee had finally gotten around to drawing sailors to take over. That left the humans…and Galatea…to go sleep off the rough night.

Carter had been last to leave the topdeck, having to act as the light for the paper clones. Stumbling into the first cabin he found, he threw off his soppy t-shirt and jeans, his jacket hung on the door, before sliding into bed. "Lee, don't get any ideas."

"Expecting someone else?" Madrid mumbled.

"…oh." Carter said, not bothering to get up. "The other beds?"

"Lee and Galatea are in one, Tina and Kelly another, Marshall is sleeping on the floor of the room your mom and Linda are in…this is the last empty one." Madrid rubbed her eyes, trying to force herself awake.

Carter stared at her, then slowly rolled away. "I'll bunk on the bench in the kitchen…"

"Don't." Madrid said, grabbing his arm. "When's the last time you slept?"

Carter blinked, trying to think of the answer for that. "uh…6 am…"

"And its 7 am the next day…over 24 hours…you need to sleep…I'll take the couch…" She shifted, swinging over him, only for Carter to yank her down.

"It's ok…"

Madrid glared at him. "Don't be a knight in shiny armor, ok? I'm a big girl."

"I know…just trying to be helpful…" Carter said with a sigh. "This is how we got into this mess, isn't it? Being stupid and stubborn?"

Madrid chuckled weakly. "I guess so." She paused. "Share?"

"Share." Carter said, Madrid shifting slightly. "Uh…are you wearing anything?"

Madrid paused, arms holding her up, following Carter's eye line. "Can ask you the same." She held in the position for another moment before quickly laying back down, trying to hide her bare body…by pressing it against Carters. "ok…bad idea."

"Hold on." Carter said, shifting Madrid slightly, rolling her to his right and extending her arm. He grunted as she kicked a little, trying to find a comfortable spot. Finally, the two ended up on their backs, Madrid half draped over Carter, her head on his shoulder and his arm around her. "Good?"

"Good." Madrid admitted. And it was, to her surprise. Madrid had been with men before…in Hollywood, sex was little more then a powerplay. Sleep with the right man to get a role or piss off a rival or ease tensions. And the thing she had found was that…a lot of actors were short.

Not super short…just comparatively. They were 5'5", 5'6", the tallest a 5'9". Unfortunately, Madrid was the type of woman most men dreamed off: a tanned, lithe, leggy 5'10". Which was great…for them. For her, it meant that she was constantly dealing with little problems and big, bruised egos.

But Carter fit her perfectly. 6'0", lean yet muscular (how shocked she would have been if she had seen him before Eden and the rest of the ghostly crew had done their training with him), willing to led yet also support.

She thought back to her interactions with Carter, realizing that except for the last time they had been in Vegas, the man had tried his hardest to be friendly to her, to prove himself worthy of her trust. He hadn't been mean, hadn't belittled her…he had treated her with respect.

'Vally liked him…bet she would have liked him even if he wasn't her father.' Madrid thought. 'She can…tell who is good and bad…she didn't like Sergei, did she?' And as Madrid thought about that, she realized something…something she should hadn't ever accepted before.

"We have a daughter." Madrid whispered.

Carter blinked, pulling himself from his near-sleep. "…y-yea, we do."

"We have a daughter." Madrid whispered in awe. "You're a daddy…and…and I'm a mommy…"

Glancing over at her, Carter nodded slowly. "Yea…"

"Tell me about her?" Madrid asked quietly.

Carter frowned. "Uh…little thing, spunky, hates Dora the Explore, likes to explode into a fiery pink version of herself, you lived with her for 2 odd years…"

"That's Vally-the-sister…" Madrid licked her lips. "Please…tell me about our daughter."

&&&

12 hours later, after waiting for the second limo to arrive, Merrick's patience paid off. The group had been waiting on top of an office building the Delpines owned, Merrick wanting to make a stunning appearance when his sister and father arrived.

"You will be polite." Merrick said calmly to Vally, placing a hand on her back and pushing her towards Anthony and Ashleigh. They two had met Merrick's group in Flint, just a few blocks from the college, which only Hank saw as ironic.

Vally looked up at Merrick. "My daddy is gonna…" She slashed her hand across her throat.

Merrick chuckled. "If I even see you flash pink, I will personally kill you then torture your precious Maddy and Daddy…you hear me."

Vally trembled slightly but still managed to bravely stare Merrick down.

Anthony smiled, walking up to Hank and shaking his hand. "Hello my boy…hello."

"Hi Grandpa." Hank said, pretending to happy. "Aunt Ashleigh."

Ashleigh grinned. "look at you…getting ready to take over the family business."

Hank rubbed the back of his head. "I guess so…"

"Guess…come on!" Ashleigh teased. "Ya tricked the mighty Metatron…kidnapped his daughter right under his nose…I swear, you'll be leading the family before long!"

Sergei scoffed. "The Mighty Metatron? If Carter heard that, you'd give him an even bigger head."

Riker rubbed the stump where his hand had been. "The kid is powerful, comrade. The Metatron cost me an arm…did some weird mojo to BeeBee's mind…"

Biddy tried her best to appear evil and pissed, though it came off more as having gas.

"Riker is right, Sergei." Merrick said coldly. "You are my number 2, and I am ashamed you do underestimate Carter Daniels so. The Metatron rivals my wife in power."

"Mom?" Hank whispered. "What do you…"

Anthony interrupted them, leaning down to look at Vally. "So…you are her…Valencia."

Vally frowned. "I'm Valencia Ana Maria Alverez-Daniels." She said boldly. "And I don't like you." She stuck her tongue out at Anthony, the old man laughing in delight.

"Wonderful…so spirited…perhaps I will convince Merrick to let me raise you." He leaned in, stage whispering, "I did so bad on my first two."

Ashleigh huffed. "Maybe it's your fault we are homicidal."

Anthony shrugged in agreement. "Perhaps."

"What will happen to Vally?" Biddy asked. When everyone looked at her, she tried to appear aloof. "Not that I care."

"Yea, me and BeeBee didn't sign on for this…we signed on to help yea out, not wage a war…so pay us our cash…" Riker stretched his hand out to Merrick, "…and we'll go."

Merrick slapped his hand away. "Stay on and I'll double your fee…and give it to you once every 6 months."

Riker thought that over. "How about…"

Merrick closed his fist, slamming Riker down. "Don't be greedy." Merrick turned back to Hank. "as for the Light…I, not you father, will be caring for her, teaching her about the Alliance and the Delpine family. If I feel she will be a perfect addition to the family, we'll adopt her…"

"And not?" Hank asked, biting down his anger.

Merrick grinned. "Ever squish a ladybug."

Vally stomped her foot. "NO! Not-my-daddy!"

Ashleigh rolled her eyes. "Oh, I'd stop that…Hank can attest to the fact that Merrick can beat that temperament out of someone."

Hank nodded, frightened as he remembered the corporal punishment his father had dished out when he was bad. If that was the fate for Vally…Hank wasn't sure he could wait for the group to come to the rescue.

Merrick checked his watch, frowning as the winds began to pick up. He had scheduled his private helicopter to pick him up here, so they could head to the jet waiting for them in Detroit, then head towards England, where Anthony's mansion awaited. But, the copter was late, and a sudden storm was blowing in…rather unnaturally.

"The professor." Merrick hissed.

"What?" Riker asked.

"They're here." Merrick snapped. "Damn it…Riker, BeeBee…go down to the street; Ashleigh, make as many clones as you can…father, contact the damn helicopter before they…"

**"MERRICK!"**

Hank slowly placed an arm around Vally as she began to bounce up and down in glee, even as the rest of the group, save for Biddy, looked over the edge of the building.

"Daddy's here!" Vally called out, even as Carter's Metatron-pitched voice echoed from below.

"**WE COME FOR OUR DAUGHTER!**" Carter roared from the street below, Madrid at his side. Both were decked in full body leather, Carter sword in his hand as his head and hands swirled in silver flames, Madrid covered in guns. "**BUT WE DO NOT COME WITHOUT PAYMENT! WE BRING TO YOU…THE END OF THE ALLIANCE!"**

Sergei scoffed. "2 against all of us…plus Ashleigh's clones…some end."

Anthony shook his head, point farther out. "Don't be so sure."

As Sergei stared out, he saw what had given all the rest of the Delpines pause.

For just a block from Carter, stood Lee, dressed also in black leather. To his right were Kelly, Galatea and Tina, to his left Helena and Marshal. And behind him…

Behind him…

…stood 10,000 paper-cloned soldiers, ready for battle.

The artist smiled softly. Lee raised his hand. He was finally ready to begin maing atonement for his sins, to help the world after he had caused so much pain…destroyed the Delpines, taking revenge on his psedo-mother, and saving Carter's daughter would be a smart. "ATTACK!"

The soldiers roared in approval, lifting the weapons Madrid had copied for them, while she and Carter rushed the building, set on one goal: To save Vally.

The great war…had finally come.


	42. Man on Fire

"Come on!" Carter shouted, moving to kick down the door to the office building. "OW!" He shouted in pain, grabbing his foot and glaring at the still standing door. "That normally works in the movies."

"Then allow the actress to do it." Madrid said, duplicating a semi-automatic and firing at the lock, turning it to shrapnel within seconds. "Why use a key when you have me?"

"I see where Vally gets her smash first, apologize later style." Carter muttered as he rushed into the lobby, quickly surveying the damage.

"What did she break?" Madrid asked as Carter hurried to the elevator.

He rolled his eyes. "Wanted to take a bubble bath, couldn't open the kid-proof cap, so she put it in the microwave."

"Why would see…wait, nevermind, I don't want to know." Madrid said, watching at the elevator slowly made its way towards them.

"…how did you do the wolf's voice?"

Madrid laughed. "She got mad at you for that, huh?"

Carter mimicked Vally's squeaky voice. "NO! Wolf doesn't sound like dat!"

Madrid was nearly dying of laughter when they heard someone cough. Whipping around, weapons ready, both sneered at the intruder. 

"Hello Seth." Carter snapped.

&&&

Vally grinned at Merrick. "you in twouble now!" She giggled.

Merrick leaned in close. "I seriously doubt that." He held up his hands, prepared to crush the advancing army, but Anthony stopped him.

"We don't kill the innocent."

"They aren't innocent." Merrick snapped.

"And the people in the houses you were ready to crush?"

Merrick shrugged. "Cost of war?"

Anthony glowered. "This may have been your plan, but I am still the head of this family, and my word is law!" He pointed at Ashleigh, Sergei, Biddy and Riker. "Get down there and take care of this mess."

"Yes father." Ashleigh, already splitting off into 5 soldier clones. "come on." All of them shouted, rushing towards the stairs.

"Hank, guard the girl." Anthony commanded. "Merrick…we wait here for Carter and Madrid."

"You think Daniels and Alverez will make it to us, against Ashleigh?"

Anthony nodded, watching as Lee led his army into battle. "A lion from the pines…our downfall is at hand."

"I don't hold stock in prophecy." Merrick said coldly. "I hold stock in myself."

"Then you will test that stock soon enough."

&&&

Lee grinned as his army slowly surrounded the building, tense and waiting. "This is where the fun begins."

"Kelly, status." Helena called out, checking her bullet-proof vest.

"Carter and Madrid are on the move, Vally is still at the top with Merrick and another figure…your mom is coming, Lee, if I am guessing correct."

Lee cracked his knuckles. "She ain't my mom…just the woman that let her die."

"What's the plan?" Linda asked. "We have surprise, but the numbers game is even, and they have more experience."

Marshal tensed as he entered his hybrid form. "We aren't here to win…we are here to give Carter and Madrid their shot."

Tina licked her lips. "Hope they take it quick enough…I got a bad feeling we will need the Metatron."

&&&

"What do you want, Seth?" Madrid asked coldly. "Come to barter with more of my family? Was my child not enough, have you come for her father?"

"No." Seth replied softly.

"You can not stop us, Seth. This war can not be ended, not by your hand, only by mine." Carter answered.

"I do not seek to stop you…I am here to aid you." Seth whispered. "Had I…had I acted sooner, none of this would have happened. My passiveness is my sin…one I will carry till my death."

Carter nodded. "Good…because you must understand now what will happen."

Madrid slowly circled him. "We will not stop, Seth. There will be no surrender, no treaties or cease-fires. This war ends only when the alliance is dead, or we are."

"Vally was merely the final strong…" Carter snapped. "For all my life, I have been tormented and watched mercilessly by the Alliance. I will not be their pawn anymore…I have lived in the shadow of the Alliance for far enough…the time of the alliance has come to an end."

"You are with us…" Madrid said, placing a hand of solidarity on Carter's shoulder. "…or against us. Will you fight?"

Seth nodded. "Till the end." The elevator dinged. "You're not seriously taking the elevator, are you?"

Carter and Madrid exchanged grins.

&&&

"Here they come!" Kelly cried out.

"Shields!" Lee commanded the first line, paper-clones of the 300 Spartans, led by Leonidas. 

"Give them nothing…but take from them…everything!"

"You sure about this?" Tina questioned softly. "Spartans against machine guns?"

Lee cackled with glee. "They're the first wave…I have some surprises ready just for Ashleigh."

The door frame to the office building exploded, revealing Ashleigh and her clones, Sergei and Riker leaping out and attacking the Spartans. Biddy stood next to Ashleigh, guarding her as she gave the command to attack.

"HOLD!" Leonidas commanded.

Helena smirked as Riker and Sergei neared them. "Wait for it…" She pulled out a grenade. "Wait for it…" She ripped the pin from the explosive.

"Yousa people gonna die?" Tina quipped to Kelly, moving to protect her girl.

"NOW LINDA!" Helena screamed, throwing the grenade at the Ashleigh clones and firing her weapon at it. Linda nodded, summoning a massive, churning wave of water to surround the forces, much as she had done in Philly against Lee's clones. The sounds of screams filled the night air as the grenade exploded, taking out many of the clones and injuring even more of them.

"Attack!" Lee called out.

"Attack!" Galatea screamed at her troops.

"Attack!" Tina commanded, firing off blasts of acid as the water wall fell.

Marshal and Galatea were the first to leap forward, each going after the Head Ashleigh. Snarling, Marshal crashed through the Ashleigh-clones, claws cutting through skin and showering his fur with blood. To his left, Galatea laughed hysterically as she let Jessica take full control, the dark side of her grinning as she ripped the arms off one clone and used them as clubs.

Helena turned towards the rest of the group. "To give my son his chance." She whispered, before leaping into the fray herself, firing off shot after shot. Linda held up her hands, the water swirling about her like a kraken's tentacles, striking out at anything that moved.

Riker stretched himself about, strangling and snapping the necks of anything he could find. Sergei, meanwhile, had slashed his wrists forming to large black-blood swords and wielding them with ease against the Spartan-clones. 

Though confused for a few moments, the Ashleigh clones quickly came to their senses, moving to strike out at their attackers, leveling the playing field quickly.

Lee himself pushed through the clones, his own and Ashleigh's, his sights on one target.

"MOTHER!" He roared. "Come face me, monster!"

The original Ashleigh turned to Biddy. "Guard the entrance."

Biddy nodded, Ashleigh failing to notice the dark gleam in her eye. "Yes madam."

&&&

Hank kept an arm around Vally, watching his father carefully. "You're mad."

"And you're a traitor." Merrick said coldly, slowly turning towards him and using his power to slam Hank to the rooftop. "You think I didn't know you were against me? Do you think I am that stupid!" He shook his head. "Now all you know will suffer."

Hank coughed. "If…you knew…dad…" he grit the word out, Vally at his side, trying to help him up. "…why bother letting me come along and lead Carter to you?"

Merrick laughed. "Fool…I wanted Daniels to come. I couldn't attack him without reason…Vally made him angry, you made him rush in, thinking he had the edge." He slammed Hank down again. "I'd curse your mother for birthing you, but I have seen her power…you are neither of our child."

Hank nodded. "Good…because you aren't my father." 

"Merrick." Anthony scolded. "We can settle this later. The copter…"

"I canceled it." Merrick said coldly.

"WHAT?"

"Let Daniels come…you think I would run from this fight?" Merrick paused as the elevator dinged. "oh…here he is…and I bet I am suppose to believe he'd be stupid enough to use that." He held out his hand, crushing the stairwell. "Fool. Try coming up those stairs now."

The doors to the elevator slid open, and Merrick roared as a whammy blast fired out. Carter, Madrid and Seth stepped out, prepped for battle. 

"Always outthinking yourself." Carter said simply.

Merrick shook off the whammy blast. "You are in for a world of pain, Daniels. I have been trained to free myself of the effects of your kind of attacks…they are useless." He held out his hands, the air crackling as he readied to make the air pressure go to crush depths. "But lets see if you know how to counteract me…"

"NO!" Vally screamed, exploding in pink flames. "NO HURT DADDY!" Her aura expanded, each person on the roof falling to their knees as Vally blocked their powers.

Carter was first one up, twirling his sword. "Seems we're on even ground."

"Not quite." Merrick said. "Me and my old man vs. you, Alverez, the Frenchmen, my son and your bastard child…doesn't seem fair."

"Deal." Madrid said coldly.

"I will." Merrick said, pulling out a gun and firing. Madrid eyes went wide, body stiff as she slowly reached down, touching the blood that slowly leaked from her chest. She looked confused as she fell to her knees.

"MADRID!" Carter cried out, moving towards her, even as Merrick fired another shot. 

"CARTER!" Seth cried out, diving in front of him…

…the bullet blasting through his skull.

"SETH!" Carter screamed, looking back and forth in horror. Merrick raised his gun again, this time at Hank, the boy just managing to go invisible as the gun fired, rolling away as Merrick emptied the chamber in vain.

"Maddy?" Vally whispered, creeping up to her sister. "M…maddy?"

Carter was at her side, the world, the battle…everything fading as he focused on her. "Madrid…oh God…hold on…" He ripped part of his shirt off, using it to try and fight the blood loss. "Hold on…hold on…oh God."

"Maddy?" Vally whimpered.

"Vally…" Madrid smiled weakly. "Hey baby…it's ok…shhh…don't worry…your daddy is here to save you…" She groaned, Carter pressing harder against the wound. "Hurts…but its ok…love you baby, love you…"

"Knock it off." Carter said harshly, tears in his eyes. "Don't you even think about following that white light…" He leaned in close. "I've been there, not fun."

Madrid gulped. "Ca…Carter…you'll take care of her…r-right?"

Carter nodded. "We both will." Hank appeared at their side. "Seth?"

"…didn't make it…didn't even feel it, I bet." Carter nodded, glancing over at Merrick and Anthony, who were arguing. "Stay with them…and hold this." Hank took the shirt, pressing it to the still gushing wound.

"Love you…Carter." Madrid whispered.

Carter turned back. "I'm not saying it…because now it would be a goodbye. So lets save it for when you're ok." Turning back to Anthony and Merrick, Carter licked his lips. "Arguing about which puppy you want to stomp?"

Anthony glared at Merrick. "Forgive my son…he is rash." 

"Rash…RASH!" Carter roared. "he killed the mother of my child!"

Anthony nodded. "A mistake, Mr. Daniels." Anthony stepped forward without fear. "Look at what our arguments have wrought…Seth dead, Madrid dying…your friends in danger…it does not have to be this way."

"Is that so?" Carter questioned.

"Yes!" Anthony said hopefully. "Why fight, Mr. Daniels? We both want the same thing: The Light to shine to her full potential. All we differ in is how. You cling to your faith in humanity…but soon you will know that we are not to serve…we are to lead, to rule. There is…so much we could teach each other…so much we could do together…if we just sided as one group. You wish to raise Vally…you can. You wish for your friends to be involved, they will be. I have seen your mother's strength, we will make her an exception. All that we ask is that you allow us to teach you and your daughter, to guide you both and model you into the warriors you could be. Together, we all could form the perfect union…the perfect ruling body to govern this world." He placed a hand on Carter's shoulder, the young man always watching him. "Aren't you tired, Carter? Tired of running, of fighting, of fearing for your life? How long can you go on like this, a fugitive, waiting for the next of your friends to die? Is it not better to simply accept the best offer you can get? Think of those you lead…think of your daughter. She is witnessing the death of one parent…don't let her witness another."

Carter nodded slowly, eyes downcast. "I am tired. I am sick of running…and I would do anything…anything…to insure that my family was safe."

"I knew you would see reason." Anthony said happily, turning towards Merrick. "And you said-"

Blood.

Blood everywhere.

On the roof, on clothing, on skin and in hair.

Blood.

Everywhere.

Carter held his sword out, his swing completed, watching as the crimson fluid drip down the blade's edge, his eyes hard. Merrick stood stock-still, horror etched on his face as his father's head rolled along the roof, Anthony's body falling the other direction in a heap.

"Anything, Merrick." Carter snarled, taking a step forward, Vally's pink flames appearing around them. Carter grunted, gritting his teeth, before the flames turned to ash, their affect gone. "Tonight, you don't face the Metatron…tonight, you face the Heir of Isaiah…" Carter's body exploded in whammy flames, but not his usual silver ones. No…these flames, fueled by his rage and grief, were tinted black, eyes glowing red like Isaiah's before him. "Tonight…you face death." Carter let out a battle cry, rushing Merrick, the older man sending out several of his crush attacks, only for Carter to dodge them, his flaming sword raised high…

&&&

The End Begins…


	43. The End Begins

Merrick shifted to his right, just managing to avoid Carter's blade

Merrick shifted to his right, just managing to avoid Carter's blade. He chuckled slightly, watching as the Metatron's black-flamed form turned to glare at him, raising his the _tensukasai_ up.

"Finally." Merrick said with mock laughter. "A challenge."

Carter merely chuckled darkly, charging his blade and lashing out at Merrick once more. The two moved about the roof, Merrick dodging the erratic and enraged sword swipes, feet pounding the tartop. Carter's grunts and bellows filled the air as he tried in ever growing frustration to cut the smirk from Merrick's lips.

"Come now, Mr. Daniels, you can do better then that." Carter snarled, lashing out once more. "Parry, parry, thrust, thrust…do you not know any other moves?" He commented, raising an eyebrow.

Carter responded by leaping up, swinging his sword and unleashing a wave of whammy energy right at Merrick. The older man groaned as he was hit, sent skidding across the roof, eyes straining to focus.

"Better." Merrick commented, his head throbbing as he brushed off the last remnants of Carter's attack. "You're getting stronger…"

Carter merely tried to cut off Merrick's hand, missing by an inch.

"…but you are not at my level yet." Merrick said coldly, hold out his hands. "Now then, Daniels…you have faced an interesting assortment of our kind. My sister's bastard child, the stripper-clone, Riker and BeeBee…but you have never seen one the likes of me before." The air seemed to shift, growing thicker, tense. "Lets see your dance, Daniels."

Carter merely nodded, leaping at Merrick, only to find himself driven to the ground. He grunted, rolling quickly, dodging each of Merrick's attacks. Leaping to his feet, he began to strafe his attacker, firing off quick whammy blasts that only served to piss Merrick off rather then stop him.

"I've seen better attacks in those video games my son played." Merrick complained. Deciding he was through waiting for Carter to do something…interesting…and instead held up his hands, firing off a crush, then removing the air pressure.

"AAAA!" Carter roared as his body went stiff, chest flexing upwards. Merrick smirked, slamming his fist down, Carter falling to the roof, his flames flicking in and out, eyes barely red.

"So strong…so quick…but still so stupid." Merrick snarled, kicking Carter in the ribs. "You thought for even a moment that you could challenge me? I have been trained for years in the air of pressure and pain. You, with your flashy flames and need for theatrics…are nothing more then an ant compared to me. Maybe when I had first started you could have defeated me…but now, even your strongest strike is batted away like waves on the rocks." He leaned down. "I won't make the same mistake with your daughter."

"Hey dad." Merrick turned, an invisible fist slamming into his nose, shattering it. "You talk to much." Hank snarled, dodging his father's retaliation and going back to full silent. Carter slowly rose to his feet, eyes flashing. "Carter can see emotion dad…and right now, I'm a big spotlight for him." Hank chuckled. "Helena's training might just pay off, just not in the way she suspected." The ghostly voice circled around Merrick. "Carter…lets take him out."

The black flames exploded around Carter once more as he raised his blade.

But as the three men fought, none noticed the heartbroken toddler crawl to Madrid's side, staring in utter fear at the wound that oozed the last of Madrid's lifeblood.

"Maddy?" Vally whispered softly, lip quivering. "maddy…" She breathed, laying her head on Madrid's chest, listening to her heart slow, beating weaker and weaker. Vally trembled, fear gripping her heart that, once more, she would lose someone so close to her heart. She began to whimper as she wrapped her tiny arms around Madrid's body, a pink, glowing tear falling from her eye. "…mama." She sobbed as Madrid took her last breath.

Kelly reloaded her shotgun, hiding behind a wrecked car. "How is no one hearing this?" She called out to Linda. "We're fighting a war in the middle of a major city, shouldn't the cops be coming?"

Professor Fray shook her head ruefully. "People see and hear what they want to see. This is a dangerous town after dark, and we aren't in the nice, safe suburb you're from, Kel." Linda held up her hands, ripping the water from one of the Ashleigh clones. "Trust me on this…back in my ol' neighborhood, you could shoot off a shot from a tank and the neighbors would merely put in earplugs."

"Sunnydale syndrome." Tina muttered. "I call not being Tara." She paused. "Who says the cops aren't here. We got clones fighting clones all over…we wouldn't hear a peep over all this if the chief of police himself was involved."

Kelly's eyes widened. "Chief…oh God…" Her eyes went wide as she withdrew, searching the area. "no…no please no….no!" Her eyes returned to normal, now filled with terror. "Oh God…we have to go…we have to save him!"

"Save who?" Tina asked, even as her lover darted away from the shelter of the car and into battle. "KELLY!" She shouted, turning quickly to a startled Linda. "Save who?"

"The chief of police." Linda said softly. "Come on, we have to help her!" Linda shouted, summoning a wave of water to carry her and Tina through the battle.

"What's the big deal?!"

"The chief of police…" Linda said, "…is Kelly's dad."

Lee had entered a different plane of thought.

Moving through the mob with ease, summoning talking swords and strange little dragons that could fire molten lead, he dispatched all that got in his way, finally come to the door where the original Ashleigh, the one that wore his mother's face all to well, stood by with Biddy.

"Hello mother." Lee snarled.

Ashleigh grinned. "Did baby come to show mama something new?" Lee snapped, rushing at Ashleigh, only for the woman to split into five doppelganger clones, each one taking a turn to attack him. Even as he tried to create his own locust clones, the Ashleighs only served to attack him again and again. "Come on baby, show mama something new."

Lee spit out a wad of blood. "You know…I killed my father recently…killing my mother is sure to piss God off." He pulled out a sheet of paper, summoning a large demon spider and throwing it at one of the Ashleighs, the woman screaming as the beast began to eat her face. "But then again, I got God's Voice nearby…maybe he can get me off."

"Clever." One of the Ashleighs said. "BeeBee…take him out."

Biddy merely drew her gun and blew the second Ashleigh's head clean off. "Lee!" She tossed him her gun.

"Traitor!" Ashleigh roared, firing at Biddy, only to remember belatedly Biddy's power, the bullet bouncing back into Ashleigh's chest, leaving only two of the doppelgangers left.

Biddy shrugged. "Yea. Now, I need to help Hank and Carter…"

"Going so soon?" Riker asked, stepping towards his former girl, fingers stretching to form whips. "Knew something was up with you."

Biddy rolled her neck. "Carter fixed me…undid everything…all the damage you did to my brain."

Riker shifted his eyes skyward. "Oh please…I mad you one of the most feared assassins in the world. All the Metatron did was make you the same scared, wimpy little baby were use to be."

"Carter undid the damage, but the horrors and the memories will last forever." She licked her lips. "The monster you created and the girl you destroyed are now one…and we're going to kill you, Riker."

"Bring it on, sweetheart." Riker taunted, before leaping at Biddy, the battle one.

In the shadows of the decaying buildings of Flint, a figure watched the battle rage, body tense and prepared for the signal he knew would come. Soon…soon his time to fight would come, and he would enjoy showing Carter Daniels how someone with powers really fought a war.

Merrick was being batted around, and to be frank, it was annoying him. He couldn't target Carter, because that meant Hank could get in some cheap shots. And he couldn't do a wide scale blast, as Carter would find a hole and fire whammies from a safe distance.

His son and the bane of his existence were fighting perfectly, and it was driving Merrick into a fit. It was rare for a fight to go on this long and Merrick wasn't the one prolonging it. In good times, most fights that was, Merrick would leave his victim thinking he or she had a chance, play around for an hour, two maybe, before crushing them. Though, not before telling them that he was playing them.

But this…

Merrick was ripped from his thoughts when he felt Hank's arm latch around his throat, squeezing hard and cutting off nearly all his oxygen. He leaned in close, enough so that Merrick would have to focus to crush him, and he couldn't exactly focus with his air slowly puttering out.

"Carter!" Hank cried out, "Do it!" He struggled to hold Merrick still. "Whammy him!"

Carter nodded, holding up his hand, black flames swirling around his fingers, his red eyes flickering as he aimed at Merrick.

"Do it!" Hank shouted. "Do it!"

Carter shivered slightly, hand quivering as he tried to focus, his eyes slowly fading.

"Carter!" Hank cried out.

Carter moaned in frustration, the flames turning silver once more before they retreated, the young man panting.

Merrick forced Hank's arm slightly away from his throat, gasping for breath not to fill his lungs but to taunt with. "He can't, boy. He'd kill you, whammying me. It might knock me down…but you aren't trained to resist it like I am…you'd die. And Carter…he doesn't have the killer instinct…just like how you can't finish the job and snap my neck." Merrick snapped his hand back, Hank bellowing in pain as his father's skull connected with his nose, blood pouring from the wound. "But I do." He slammed down his hands, the air pressure driving Carter and Hank down once more, before he began to slowly alternate between crushing their chests in and expanding them out. "For me, everyone else is an insect. I am a god…does that make you my voice, Daniels?" Carter roared in pain. "Ah, maybe we can find out. Spread the word, Metatron…spread it for me." He raised his hand up, ready for the killing blow. "Scream for me."

BANG!

Merrick slowly raised his hand, staring at the hole that had been shot in it. He bit by bit looked up, eyes widening as Carter and Hank stared in utter surprise.

Vally looked up from where she sat, tears drying off her cheeks. "Maddy?" She whispered.

Madrid kept her gun trained on Merrick even as she reached down and scooped Vally up. "Shhh…mama's here." Vally blinked in surprise before she began to cry again, Madrid rubbing her back soothingly even as she advanced menacingly on Merrick.

"How…you…"

"Died?" Madrid asked. "Something me and Carter have in common." She smiled slightly. "It's all in the brain, Merrick…the potential…you just have to unlock it." She glanced at Vally, the toddler still crying, though now out of joy; joy for the mother she had longed for these last few weeks, returned once more when thought lost forever. "My daughter is powerful, Merrick. The Light…you said it yourself…I should thank you…your bullet gave me time to learn things." She looked down at Carter. "Eden says hello."

Carter gaped. "E-Eden?"

Madrid looked back at Merrick, face hard. "You never bothered to figure her out, Merrick…her potential, her power. You just assumed she could detect and block powers…but Valencia is so much more. My little girl doesn't block powers…she controls them." Madrid rolled her shoulders. "She can deactivate them, or advance them to their full potential." Madrid's shirt began to bulge out. "Take me…on my own, all I could do was make duplicates of objects. But, my power is so much more. From a single atom, I can duplicate anything fully. Including, say…the major organs your bullet ripped apart? Or…"

Madrid's shirt ripped open, and to the shock of those on the roof, 4 more arms grew under her current ones, then 6 more from her back. Each one twisted slightly, before a copy of Madrid's gun appeared in all save the two that wrapped around Vally, holding her tight.

"…any limb I want." Madrid finished, aiming each weapon at Merrick. "My daughter has many protectors, Merrick…but you should have feared the two the prophecy spoke of… the Metatron, the Voice of God…and the General." Madrid sneered, "Behold the Hand of God."

With that, she let roar her guns, Merrick using his own powers to smack down most of the bullets, though one still ended up in his shoulder. Howling in outrage, he focused on Madrid, slamming his fists down.

"Hold on baby girl." Madrid whispered, 4 of her arms dropping their guns as Madrid ran towards the stairwell. She grabbed on, pulling herself with ease, thanks her multitude of hands, and leapt onto the stair well. Her pants shredded as she withdrew several of her arms and replaced them with a second set of legs, giving her the lift needed to leap right at Merrick.

"Got yea." Merrick snarled, readying his blast.

"Got you." Carter snarled, swinging his blade into Merrick's thigh, burying the sword deep. Hank's father bellowed as blood poured from the wound, only to receive several round house kicks from an enraged Madrid. Hank leg swiped his father, sending him to the rooftop. Carter hobbled over to where Madrid had landed, Hank joining them. "Madrid…"

Madrid smiled softly, running a hand along Carter's cheek. "Remind me to talk to you later…Eden…showed me things."

"Daddy!" Vally exclaimed happily. "Mama!" She seemed to radiate joy, beside herself in glee.

Hank tore his eyes away from his father to look Madrid up and down. "Nice arms."

Madrid retracted them with ease, looking at her shredded outfit. "I defiantly need a costume…maybe a cape."

"Capes are overrated." Carter answered with a grin.

"Said the guy with the long coat." Hank jested.

"How cute." Merrick coughed, sneering them all as he stood. "The little family, together again; daddy, mommy, uncle Hank…and baby too."

"I'm no baby!" Vally shouted.

Merrick nodded. "You're right…you're not a baby…you're…well…dead." He roared, raising his hands into the air. The group prepared themselves for the crush, only for it never to strike.

Them…at least.

Merrick's blast tore through the building, snapping steel beams like toothpicks and turning cement to dust. Floor upon floor cracked and buckled, windows shattered, tile and stone made powder under Merrick's assault.

"If I can't have the light…no one can." Merrick taunted, pulling out a walkie-talkie. "RIKER! Order 66!"

Down below, Riker instantly ignore his battle with Biddy, stretching himself away and towards the building. He pulled himself to his limits, his head just peaking over the top of the office building as Merrick waved to Carter and his family.

"It has been fun, my boy…Hank, say hello to your grandfather for me." He laughed, leaping into Riker's arms, sending one last crush attack to drive the family to their knees, all about them the building shifting and falling apart. "Thus Endth the lesson." Merrick sneered, disappearing from view.

"Lay down cover fire!" Police Chief Charles "Charlie" Raegan shouted, firing at one of the many women that were laying siege on his men.

"Sir!" One of the other cops shouted, crawling towards him. "They just keep coming!"

"Keep going!" Charlie screamed, unloading his weapon at the mob, then quickly grabbing another clip, his last one. They'd arrived after getting news of gunshots to find themselves in a warzone. The women…the exact same woman…had quickly singled them all out, taking out 3 cops within seconds and leaving the men cowering behind their vehicles, trying to keep the wounded breathing and themselves from joining the hurt. Charlie Raegan grit his teeth, pulling out his walkie. "We need backup, backup!" The hiss of static greeted him once more. Somehow, their coms were being blocked. "Damn it!"

"SIR!" One of his men screamed as two of the women broke from the group, rushing their car and firing upon the men. Two men went down, another just managing to get away. Charlie, however, could only lean back as the Ashleigh clone pointed her gun at him.

BANG!

Charlie blinked as her head exploded.

Another fell, then a wall of water divided the men from the clones, the police breathing easier. But for Charlie, he could only stare at the pissed of lezzie with a shotgun that was looking at him.

"Kelly?!" He exclaimed.

His daughter held out her hand. "Come with me if you want to live."

Tina chuckled. "God, I love that woman."


	44. Duel of the Fates

"Kelly?" Charlie Raegan stammered in shock. "Is it…"

"Kel!" Tina cried out, Kelly turning around quickly enough to fire her shotgun into the belly of a clone lucky enough to sneak through the water vortex Linda had made.

"Thanks." Kelly said, turning back to her dad and giving him an innocent smile. "Dad…hi."

"Hi?" He stammered. "HI?! You've been missing for almost 4 months and the best you have is HI!?"

Kelly paused. "Nice to see you?" She said meekly.

Charlie glared at her. "You're not too old for me to take you over my knee."

"Already did that, sir." Tina called out.

Charlie raised an eyebrow. "God…not another big mouthed girlfriend."

Kelly shrugged. "I like'em loud."

Linda hurried over to father and daughter. "This is nice and all, real touching, be have to…"

BOOM!

The 4 of them turned, watching as Riker slowly destretched him self, Merrick in his arms. Behind the two, the office building Carter and Madrid had stormed was falling apart.

"Leave it to your boy to make a grand exit." Tina said, only to notice Kelly grow pale. "Baby…what is it?"

"They're still up there." She whispered.

"What?" Linda and Tina cried.

"They're still up there…oh God, they're still up there!"

Tina locked eyes with Linda. "Can you…"

"No clue."

"Going to try anyway?"

"Damn straight." Linda snapped, eyes flashing blue as she called upon the Flint River. The water blasted around the police and the three women before it lifted a police car up, Linda leaping onto it. "Get your dad and the rest of the cops out of here, Kelly…they can't help us anymore."

Charlie watched in awe as Linda lifted her arms, the water rushing and sending a great geyser into the sky, pushing the professor up and towards the crumbling office building.

"Come on, Mr. Raegan…" Tina said, grabbing Charlie's arm. "Time to go."

"Kelly…what the hell is going on?"

Kelly gave him a small smirk. "Blame it all on Carter Daniels."

"That stuttering boy?"

Tina scoffed. "Maybe when you knew him…new Carter is cool and collected."

* * *

"Are we dead yet?" Carter whispered to Madrid, the roof crumbling around their feet.

"No."

"Damn." Carter muttered.

Hank yelped as the hardtop he was standing on gave way. He just managed to jump before it fell, crashing several stories below. "You know, I always knew I would die in this town, I always assumed it would be by some hobo's hand."

"We all assume we'll die of a hobo death." Carter replied, joking even to the last.

Madrid stuck on her tongue, humor the only thing keeping her sane. "Well, I assumed I would die really hold, my body more plastic then flesh, so for me, this blows."

"Mama?" Vally whimpered. "We in twouble?"

Madrid gave Vally a smile. "Not at all sweetheart…not at all."

The building groaned.

Not even Vally believed that comment.

* * *

Biddy dove in front of Lee, bouncing back several bullets that had been meant for him. "Thanks!" Lee shouted. "My girl is…somewhere." Through the clamor of the battle, they could hear Galatea hoot with glee as she ripped another clone in half, Marshal's howl joining with her own victory cry. "Sounds like my girl is taking your girls out, mother dearest."

The first Ashleigh, the leader of the doppelgangers, merely rolled her neck, bones popping. The second was hanging back, waiting for her moment. "You really think you have a chance of beating me?" She rushed Lee, quickly creating 10 low-level clones to overwhelm Biddy. "I've studied you all…everyone has a weakness."

"Do tell!" Lee snapped, summoning one of his new favorite toys, a living tommy gun.

"Yea, do tell dollface." The Groucho-styled gun mocked.

Ashleigh nodded towards Biddy, who was struggled to come closer to them. "Take your new little ally. She can reflect attacks…but to do so, she has to stop all movement. As long as my clones only hit her with light taps, she's frozen and you don't get any help." Ashleigh dodged a few bullets the gun spat at her, splitting in three and punching Lee right and left, the middle weak clone she had made going down instantly from the shot Lee got off.

The artist snarled, firing at the woman that wore his mother's face, though he did smirk as he noticed movement to her right. "Keep going…keep bothering me with useless chatter."

The main Ashleigh and her low-level clone merely shared a look before leaping at each other, merging just as Galatea and Marshal pounced. The two glared at Ashleigh, how merely wiggled her fingers. Both rushed forward…only for Ashleigh to go Loony Toons on them and separating back into two: A main Ashleigh and a weak clone.

"Take those two." Ashleigh said calmly, sending several move clones to knock Galatea and Marshal out. "They might as well be Elmer Fudd."

Lee pulled out another piece of paper, summoning several very mean, very ill tempered puppies. "That's my girlfriend you're talking about."

"It's true though." Ashleigh reasoned. "Helena Daniels is thorough, but endanger her son, she goes mad. Madrid Alverez is only as strong as what she has on her person. Linda Fray can be shot with ease, as well as Tina Linderman and Kelly Raegen; all about distance." Several more clones snapped the necks of the puppies, turning them back to paper. "Carter Daniels is a tricky one…good far and close. OF course…he cares a little too much…"

"Such a shame." Lee snapped, watching as the main Ashleigh moved towards him, motioning for the second one, the one that had been hanging back during the entire fight to join her, the other low level clones standing back to let the leaders…lead. "And what about me, o' bright one."

The main Ashleigh laughed. "Your weakness is your imagination. You go for humor, for art, instead of the brutal kill. Where it would have been easy to make a disintegrator…you make that talking gun."

The tommy gun frowned. "That isn't nice to-" Lee returned the gun to its paper form.

"And you?" Lee question.

The main Ashleigh cracked her knuckles. "I don't have a weakness." She moved to strike Lee, only to find her arm restrained….

...by the second doppelganger Ashleigh.

"Oh, you have a weakness." The second said. "You didn't kill me yourself…and then you tried to kill my son."

Lee's eyes widened. "M…mom?"

The main Ashleigh was just as shocked. "You…you…died."

"I faded." The other Ashleigh hissed. "You felt me return, right? Never felt that before with a dead one…not the way I returned. Didn't bother to research it…I did." She leaned in close. "You always wondered why I changed…why I decided to break from our brother. I met with Lord William…and he revealed everything. What was going to happen…how our brother was going to lead the world into darkness…and how our son would be the one to help destroy the Delpines." The second Ashleigh shivered. "I saw a lot in those scrolls Lord William gave me…every crime our family committed. I realized that if I didn't leave, I'd become jaded…and thanks to our power… I see just what I suspected.

"I've waited for years, slowly building up strength in your mind, and more then that…I've been slowly moving you into this spot." She laughed with wicked glee. "It was almost fun watching myself become the very monster I had once feared. Do you remember when we were young…when we, when we were one…truly one…wanted to leave the family, after seeing dad kill that guy from Austria? Now…you're the same thing he…and Merrick is worse.

"Well…I think it is time for some prophecies to come true. And my dear dark half…" The second Ashleigh leaned in close. "I don't make the same mistakes you do." And with that, she snapped the main Ashleigh's neck. Lifting her head, in a clear voice even as the body of her dark half fell, she called out, "Snap your necks."

All the clones, all around them, every single low and mid level Ashleigh, reached up and snapped their necks, the sound of bodies turning to dust filling the air.

"Now then…can I get a hug?" Ashleigh…the good Ashleigh, asked, barely finishing before Lee was in her arms.

* * *

Madrid held Vally close, humming to her even as their world literally crumbled to dust.

"Hank…" Carter whispered. "…if this is it…I just want to say thanks."

"Not accepted…because I refuse to die like this." Hank said sternly.

"I agree!"

They all turned, grinning as Linda pushed the water jet closer to then, moving the police car next to them.

"Need a lift?" She asked.

Carter grinned. "God Bless you."

"Less talk, more jumping!" Hank said, leaping onto the car and holding out his hand. "Madrid!"

Madrid nodded, forming an extra arm on her shoulder so she could hang onto Vally. "Carter!"

Carter nodded, but instead of joining them, he darted forward, bending down and grabbing something important.

Seth's fallen body.

"Carter!" Madrid yelled. "Come on!"

"Coming!" Carter shouted, leaping over holes and throwing the body to Hank, who just managed to catch it.

Before Carter fell through the roof.

"CARTER!" Madrid screamed, shooting out her hand, another arm growing out of her palm, this repeating until a string of arms was in the hole, grasping about.

"We have to go…" Linda yelled, broken hearted.

"No…one more second…" Madrid pleaded. Linda began to pulled them away, Madrid yelling in protest…

…until Carter emerged from the hole, hair covered in soot and grasping her arm for dear life.

"Daddy!" Vally squealed as Carter was pulled onto the police car.

He hugged the little girl, kissing her forehead. "Linda…you didn't give me a second…you decided to play it safe and protect my family." He smirked. "Good job."

* * *

"In here, dad." Kelly said, pointing to a parking garage. "come on, you'll be safe here."

Charlie glared at his daughter. "What is going on?" he demanded. "its like World War III!"

"I doubt that." Tina said. "I heard Black Adam caused World War III."

"Ignore her and the DC references." Kelly said. "Want the cliffnotes? I have powers. Carter has powers. Hank Delpine and Prof. Fray? More powers. My new girlfriend can make acid, her dad was a supervillain. Those women were clones. Carter had a test tube baby with Madrid Alverez, the actress. Hank's father kidnapped the baby, so Carter started the war to take down the Alliance, a group of superpowered men and women wanted to control the world. Oh, and I need to go back and help my friends. Tina?"

Tina fired an acid shot, sending the gate to the parking garage slamming down, locking Charlie and the police inside.

"KELLY!" He roared. "KELLY!"

"Sorry daddy." Kelly whispered, tears in her eyes. "But some things are bigger then you and me."

And with that, she turned her back on her father and his cries, and marching back towards her team.

* * *

"Carter…" Helena whispered, before leaping forward, wrapping her son tight in a hug.

"Seems like the day for reunions." Ashleigh said, her arm around Lee's shoulder.

Carter narrowed his eyes at her, but Galatea stepped forward. "Its ok…its Lee's mom…the real one."

Carter nodded, though he did make sure to keep Vally and Madrid behind him. "Good…though, I hope you don't mind that I killed your dad."

"Good riddance. How did you do it?"

"Decapitation." Carter admitted.

"Madrid died." Hank commented. "Then got better. In all, a rich, full day." He walked over to Biddy, his soul confidant in this whole ordeal of playing spy, and gave her a hug. "Thanks for protecting us."

Biddy awkwardly returned the hug, startled by the affection. "Thanks…"

Tina coughed as she and Kelly approached. "Enough hugging…everyone alive."

Marshal rubbed his sore head. "Barely."

"Wonderful. I say we get ice cream…" Tina began.

"No." Madrid said sternly, shifting Vally on her hip. "We finish this." At the others looks, she shook her head. "You think Merrick will stop? You think he will give up? You think he will decide to stay home and knit evil sweaters? No. He found us once, he will find us again. He kidnapped my daughter, killed me, tried to kill my baby's father…"

"NO BABY!" Vally snapped.

"Sorry, toddler…and he just destroyed his own office building to try and take us all out." Madrid shook her head in frustration. "No…we end this tonight…because I won't live in fear another day. We eliminate him…now."

"Yea!" Vally cheered.

Carter nodded. "I'm with my girls…anyone that wants out…say so now. Because I meant it when I said it before: I will destroy the alliance."

Helena loaded her gun. "I'm with you 100."

Hank clenched his fist. "My father needs to pay."

Tina and Kelly shared their agreement, as did Marshal and Linda. Lee and Galatea only glanced at each other before they nodded their consent.

"I want in too." Biddy said. "I…I need to make up for my sins…"

"None of the sins you committed as BeeBee fall upon you now." Carter said solemnly. "That is why I cured you…you are a good soul."

"Be that as it may be…I still need to help." Biddy said.

"Me too." Ashleigh answered. "My brother needs to pay."

Carter pulled out a phone. "Then I think its time I made my final move."

"Final move?" Madrid questioned.

Carter smiled at her. "Oh luv, I have quite a surprise in store for you all."

* * *

Merrick glared at Sergei. "Drive." He snapped as he hopped into the van.

"What of the others?" Sergei asked.

"BeeBee betrayed us." A pissed off Riker snapped.

"And my father is dead…sister too if there are no clones." Merrick growled. "And my son was working fro Daniels. Damn you Daniels…damn you to hell."

"what now?" Sergei asked as he began to turn down a side street.

Merrick rolled his neck. "We make for the airport, get out of this hell hole, then plot how we are going to blow this city off the map. Then, we'll decide how to get Daniels, Alverez and their daughter and spend the rest of their lives torturing them 24/7." He licked his lips. "And trust me…they don't have long to li-"

The van rocked, spinning violently, sending the men tumbling. Sergei cried out, Riker tried to find a spot to hold onto, and Merrick cursed as the van skidded to a stop, laying on its side.

"MERRICK!" Carter bellowed from outside. "COME OUT AND PLAY!"

Merrick grit his teeth. "Seems like we get to skip to the torture." He growled, kicking the door open and stepping out to find himself facing all of Carter and his group, each one ready for the next round of battle. "Come to see me off."

"Come to see you die." Carter said coldly. "You've hurt my family for the last time, and now my family is here to stop you, once and for all."

"Family? What…these people? Your strange friends, your lying mother, my turncoat sister and her brat, the daughter that shouldn't even exist and the woman that betrayed you? That's a family?"

"No." Carter said simply. "My caring, loyal friends…more like brothers and sisters. Your sister returned from the dead and reunited with her nearly lost son who at last sees the light. My daughter that God made a miracle…and the woman I am falling in love with." He held out his arms. "These are who they are, Merrick."

Merrick scoffed. "Let me teach you about life, Daniels. The more chains around your neck, the more dead bodies to weigh you down. I don't care about my sister or my father or Hank…let them all die." He pointed his thumb at his chest. "I rely on me…and that means that in the end, I'll always be on top…because everyone else just stops you in your tracks."

"You're wrong, Merrick." Carter took at step closer. All watching, on both sides, sensed what was happening. It was like to grand forces colliding; two titans preparing to brawl to decide who reshaped the Earth. It was a war of words, of ideologies…a duel of the fates. "Family, friends…they keep you grounded, they keep you humble or brave or scared or happy or ALIVE. Without them…we might as well be dead." Carter held his head high. "That is one of the two main differences between us, Merrick."

Merrick held out his hands, ready to crush said family…just to teach Carter a lesson about not caring too much. "And what is the other?"

"The other is that while you think you understand everything…can do anything…I'm humble enough to admit when I need help. NOW BROTHER!"

Merrick barely had time to react before his body began to seize up, twitching violently. Sergei and Riker rushed to their boss, trying to help him, but still Merrick seized…

…as Terrence emerged from the shadows.

"About damn time." Terrence said calmly, Carter smirking even as his friends and family looked on in shook as Company agents swarmed around them, appearing form the buildings and side streets. As Terrence kept Merrick still, a large, portly man walked up to Carter, holding out his hand.

"Carter Daniels…or do you prefer Metatron?"

"Carter."

"Bob?" Helena whispered. "Bob Bishop?"

Bob smiled. "Hello Helena." He turned back to Carter. "It worked out just as you said."

"Then I assume we are in agreement."

Bob nodded. "24 hours…that's how long The Company and your group hold a truce. We get Merrick and his family…you get off free to run from us another day."

"Sounds like a plan." Carter said, stepping past Bob and next to Terrence. "Ready brother?"

Terrence smirked as Merrick managed to fight off his attack. "As ever…brother."

Carter nodded, exploding into his Metatron form, even as the Company agents and his friends and family got into battle stances. "**Merrick Delpine!**" Carter called out, voice booming. "**Behold the House of Ellis!**"

And with that, the brothers attacked.

* * *

It all comes down to this

The final two chapters of Elsewhere: Volume 2- Generations

It's Merrick vs. The House of Ellis

Before it is over, one of the most powerful forces on Earth will be snuffed out, a new force will rise, and the world will know that there is one light that can fight back against the night

But if you remember only one thing, remember this;

**Don't**

**Mess**

**With**

**  
Vally**

But don't think that is the end of the story

For the tales from Elsewhere are just getting started

This May, discover that even in Elsewhere, there are those whose story has yet to be told…till now…

During the year between Volume 2 and 3, there is the story of Charlie Raegan…and how far he would go to learn the truth and find his daughter

Elsewhere: Aftermath

Then, this summer, an unprecedented event takes place

A handful of readers and fans of Elsewhere will have the chance of a lifetime…to help create the newest characters within Mr. Chaos' groundbreaking fan fic, as they write the backstories to these all important characters

Snapshots from Elsewhere: To Sin is Divine

More details…coming soon


	45. A Candle Against the Night

Carter locked eyes with his little girl, a million words of praise and love passing between them in that one moment

"Light and Darkness…an eternal struggle. Where one is, the other fights. The darkness is strong, stronger then the light, perhaps. The brighter the sun, the darker the shadows. Every great work the light makes is twisted and corrupted by the night, till it is nothing more the nightmares and terrors."

-Mohinder Suresh

&

The brothers moved in tandem, their focus only Merrick. For Lee, Galatea, Madrid, and Tina, it was a startling sight, a mixture of beauty and terror that they had only seen once before, when the brothers had battled each other in Alaska. There, Carter and Terrence had been rivals, playing out roles as old as time itself, passed down from Cain and Able to Joseph and his brothers, to finally two men that should have never met.

But now…now these two warriors were united, facing a strength none had ever managed to face head-on before.

Terrence lashed out with his fist, driving it into Merrick's gut just as Carter delivered a devastating upper cut. Merrick's head bobbed back like a bobble-head dog, opening him for another of Terrence's attacks, this time held tight and sending Merrick's nerves firing red-hot.

The two brothers leapt away as Merrick stumbled, both nodding to the other before unleashing twin attacks. Merrick roared as his nerves sizzled and his brain went haywire, the two sons of Edward Ellis doing all they could to taking him down.

But still, Merrick forced himself back up, motioning for them to come at him.

Carter grinned beneath his flames, taking a running start before he leapt at Merrick. The head of the Delpine family smirked, holding out his hand…

…and whipping back to punch Terrence, who had been rushing him as well. Raising his foot, Merrick managed to high kick Carter in the jaw, rattling the young man's teeth and stopping his attack dead.

Of course, Merrick didn't count on the brother both grabbing one of his legs and tugging like he was a wish bone, sending him to the pavement and allowing them to dog pile him. The elegant fight turned into a street brawl as they three rolled about, trading punches, kicks and bites, blood and body fluid splattering all about them as them continued their struggle.

The rest of the group shared looks with each other, then turned back to watch as Riker and Sergei slowly began to inch towards the brothers.

"What the hell are we waiting for?" Lee asked, summoning some locust. "Lets kick some ass!"

The men and women cried out their approval, rushing towards the battle, the Company soldiers all keeping the perimeter secure. Galatea ripped a street sign from the sidewalk, using it to strike Riker as hard as she could. The rubber man laughed, letting the attack bounce off of him, before he began to pummel anyone he could get his hands one. Sergei was backing away, Biddy deflecting his shots while Hank tried to sneak Tina ask close as he could to him. Lee was doing his best to help Carter and Terrence, but the two seemed to have things under control. Ashleigh summoned several low level clones to protect her son, just in case these Company soldiers decided to attack them.

Merrick snarled, finally managing to push the two back. "You think this will stop me!" He raised his hands high, slamming them down as hard as he could.

"Move!" Madrid screamed, scooping up Vally while replicating several legs and arms to help her leap away just as Merrick pressurized the entire area, sending everyone but the two girls to the ground. Carter and Terrence picked themselves up as quickly as they could, resuming their attacks even as Merrick tried once more to send them to the ground.

"Linda!" Helena shouted. "Elle!"

Elle, who had been itching to take a crack at the supposedly deadly Merrick, glanced up. "What?" She asked snidely.

"Water and Electricity…fire together!"

Linda nodded, Elle grinning wickedly. The two prepared themselves, waiting for the right moment, then let their blasts fly. Carter and Terrence dove out of the way, Merrick shifting to his left leaving Riker to be struck.

"Shit." Elle complained.

"Language." Bob scolded.

&

"Hank!" Madrid called out, running over to where the young man lay. "Hank…"

"Damn it…" Hank groaned. "Broke a rib…"

Madrid nodded, replicating several arms to lift Hank onto her shoulder. "Lets get you out of here…"

"Biddy…" Hank groaned. "And Tina…"

"I'm fine." Biddy said, digging herself from the crater she'd made when Merrick had pressurized them. She was carrying a limp Tina, the psychologist bleeding badly from the temple. "She needs a doctor though."

Madrid nodded, motioning for the former assassin to follow her.

In an alley across the street, Sergei flexed his hand, black blood pool around his knuckles. "So long, lover." He whispered as he aimed at Madrid's head.

Vally, who was still being held by Madrid, turned in time to see Sergei taking aim. Her body shook with rage at the sight of another person trying to kill her mother. "No…" Vally growled, startling Madrid, Hank, and Biddy. "NO HURT MAMA!"

Pink flames burst from Vally, causing Madrid to drop the girl. Vally trembled, the fire suddenly pulling back into her and causing her skin to glow red, as if she was suddenly radioactive.

"_NO!_ " Vally boomed, running right at Merrick…

…at super speed.

Sergei barely had time to register what was happening before Vally was on him, the little girl leaping up and socking him in the jaw. Madrid's own jaw dropped as Sergei rocketed into the air several stories. Vally, not done, leapt up ala Superman, intercepting Sergei as she slammed her little fists into his face, shattering his skull and sending him crashing through a building. Vally tucked herself and fell, rolling with ease before super-speeding back to Madrid.

"What the hell?" Hank finally yelled in shock.

Vally smiled as the energy faded from her skin, leaving her normal. "up!" She held out her arms, Madrid dumbly lifting the toddler to her chest. Vally snuggled in, kissing her mommy on the check.

"Again, I ask 'what the hell'?!" Hank screamed.

Bob Bishop shook his head in shock, having witnessed it all. "Its true…the light."

"Once last time…'what…the…hell'?!" Hank bellowed, looking at Vally, who merely smiled at him, sucking on her thumb. "I thought Vally could just block powers." He glared at Vally. "And I'm not buying the thumb-sucking thing." Vally pulled her thumb out and grinned.

"Any advance them." Madrid said. "That's how I came back to life…and how I'm guessing you and Kelly suddenly got better control of your powers: Vally can strength a power."

"That doesn't explain her suddenly going Flash on us." Biddy said. "That was a new power."

"Natuwal." Vally said softly to Madrid.

"What?"

"Natuwal abili…i…" She looked rather confused, trying to remember the word.

"Abilities." Bob whispered. "Of course."

"What are you talking about?" Madrid asked, holding Vally a little tighter at Bob's almost salivating gaze.

"The things we do…they aren't special abilities."

Biddy frowned. "Sound special to me. Not a lot of people that can deflect bullets." She said politely.

"For you it isn't special…you do it naturally." Bob said. "This isn't like the comic books Miss Linderman enjoys. We didn't receive these powers from some chemical or radiation…we were born with them. For us, they are as natural as being able to run fast or how strong we are.

"Your daughter, Madrid, doesn't control powers. She controls the abilities of a person…all of them: speed, strength, intelligence, resistance to pain, stamina, and in your case, replication. Or in Hank's case, his invisibility. She can weaken them…or strengthen them. With a thought, she can make the greatest man a kitten, or turn herself into…the display you saw there." He paused. "And because of her power…I think she knew.

Madrid licked her lips, looking back at her girl. "Vally…did you know this and not tell us?"

Vally ducked her head. "Oops?"

Before any of them could respond, Carter stumbled back, flames flickering out. "Things…aren't going so well." Terrence fired another blast, only for Merrick to strike back. He rose to his feet. "I've never encountered anything like this…he's immune to my best shots." He rolled his neck, bones popped, before slowly summoning more of his flames. "I'm firing on all cylinders and he just wags it off like nothing." He groaned, rubbing the back of his head.

"What if we gave you another one?" Madrid asked.

"What?" Carter asked, grimacing as his mother and Marshal made a run at Merrick, only to be struck down by a pressure strike.

Madrid shifted Vally. "Vally can boost abilities Carter…she could give you the jump needed to take out Merrick."

"You're joking." Carter said, surprised.

"She's right." Bob said, watching as some of his own men were crushed by Merrick. "You've shown yourself to be powerful, Mr. Daniels…but Merrick Delpine is beyond anything we have. He's been trained to resist even the strongest attack…we need to use something beyond what he has ever faced that won't harm others…I believe you are our only choice."

Carter frowned. "Everyone forget that the last time I broke open the dam, I DIED?!"

Madrid slowly walked over to Carter, placing a hand on his check. "This is different, Carter. Vally will be helping you…" She leaned in, kissing him softly, "…and I believe in you Carter…I believe in you." She stepped back, letting Vally down. "I love you."

Carter nodded, blinking away a tear. "I know." He locked eyes with his little girl, a million words of praise and love passing between them in that one moment. "Do it."

Vally nodded, Madrid placing comforting hands on her shoulders as the toddler focused, calling up the most terrible of the fires that had always laid in her soul, the ones that she had worked so hard to master and yet still now feared. Eyes glowing like golden ponds, her body erupted into pink flames that bordered on blood red. Hands shaking ever so slightly, she took one final breath before she locked onto her father's silver form and fired.

Carter bent down, body convulsing as Valencia ripped away the damn he and Eden had built around his powers; the only thing that had allowed him to gain control over his abilities. The silver flames shuddered patches of Carter's skin being revealed to the group. They all watched as small, paper-cut styled slashes began to crack along his skin, energy seeping out. His eyes were held open, the orbs going a brilliant ivory as more and more of the energy was unleashed. Vally grit her teeth, her little mind working to force the raw energy to obey her commands, to come to heel like a puppy at its master's feet.

The silver flames were now gone, in their place brilliant white energy that burst from the cuts and slashing that ran along Carter's flesh. He trembled, a primal roar thundering from his throat. It wasn't one of pain or suffering; it was one no unlike God's first bellow as the deity came into existence. Along his back, two mighty cuts ripped open, energy flaring out like angel wings.

And as soon as it began…it ended.

Vally panted slightly, but still, a smile graced her lips as she beheld her father at his full potential, his true power unleashed.

The Metatron's glowing eyes focused on Merrick, his body stiffening as the white energy cracked and flowed from his body. Some wafted near Vally and Madrid, the caresses from it soothing away the pain and fear they had tried to hide. It moved about them all, each affected differently. Some only smiled in joy, their hearts beating stronger. Galatea broke down into happy tears, while Biddy held her head in shame until the energy seemed to assure her of her place.

Hank fell to his knees in supplication.

Sergei moaned in agony.

"**Merrick Delpine."** Carter said calmly, smoothly. Every time his mouth opened, Merrick could see a glow coming from deep in his throat; as if there were a miniature sun glowing within the boy. "**Have you come to confess your sins?**"

Merrick grit his teeth as Terrence tried to hold him still. "N-never."

Carter merely nodded, clenching his fist, his entire hand burning bright. Bob Bishop had a horrible flashback to Ted Sprague as Carter made his way towards Merrick.

"**So be it.**" He said simply, tensing slightly before he reduced the many yards between him and Merrick in seconds, his speed the same as Vally's. Not even pausing, Carter decided to steal Vally's playbook and socked Merrick into the air, leaping up and pummeling him all the way down. Terrence backed away, letting his little brother work, wondering if he could somehow trick Vally into amping him up into a Greek God of steroids.

"You think this will stop anything?" Merrick taunted even as Carter continued to his quest to break all the bones in Merrick's body. "You think you can hold back the night, Daniels? Please…you are pathetic. Your strength is nothing but a flicker against my will. Break my bones, shatter my body…I'll get better. Imprison me and I'll escape. Kill me…and you are no better then me." He spit out a thick wad of blood. "Though…kill me now and you avoid the inevitable." He laughed weakly, all the while readying to crush everyone around the Metatron. "You come here and judge me…think you are God's little messenger. Let me tell you a secret." Merrick leaned toward the Metatron. "You're not the first one to hear God's will and go running out to do it. There are a million suckers that fell for that line…hell, look at Hank. Perfect example of what is to come for you, Daniels." He rolled back his head. "I've heard about you pronouncing judgment, acting as a judge of man…how is what you do any different then me? How is the blood on your hands cleaner then mine? It isn't. You are just like me, Daniels…and it will only take so long before you find yourself facing some foolish upstart ready to kill you and try his hand at ruling. Like Uranus was killed by Cronos, and Cronos by Zeus…it's a circle, you fool." Merrick raised his hands suddenly. "But I'm breaking the cycle."

Before he cold activate his powers, Metatron ceased him turning him around…

…right into Vally's aim.

Pink flames struck him hard, causing him to gasp as the toddler ripped away his powers, reducing his ability to call upon them to dust. Terrence charged his hands, he and Elle firing together to send Merrick twitching, the Metatron gritting his teeth as he took on the aftershock.

"**You're right, Merrick. There have been others claiming what I claim. And you and I both act to protect our beliefs. But there is one thing that will keep me from ever becoming you.**"

&

"Yes, the night is strong, the darkness horrifying. But its strength is its weakness. For the darkness, with all it claims, must use all its strength to damp out good, to eclipse the light. But it only takes a single ray to wound the darkness. And more then this…there is one light, glorious and simple, that can, no matter how small, drive back the nightmares…"

&

The Metatron wrapped his arms around Merrick, forcing the older man to his chest. The Voice of God's skin began to glow hotter, the cuts growing longer and deeper as his skin seemed to clear and reveal the pulsing energy within the young man.

"**Why I fight…is what keeps me from being you.**" The Metatron spoke, pulling Merrick and himself away from his friends, family and the Company agents, Bob already giving the retreat command. **"Do you wish to know what I fight for?**" The Metatron asked, closing his eyes. His body trembled, the two of them slowly engulfed in whammy energy, Merrick beginning to moan in pain.

"What…what is going on?" Elle whispered.

Her father watched on in awe. "Carter Daniels…is saving the world."

"**For all that was.**" Carter whispered.

Visions of all those heroes that had come before him appearing in his mind. Isaiah, Stormrider…Seth…his sister Sarah…the victims of Sylar and Merrick and those like them.

"**For all that is."**

He saw his mother and father…not the ones that had birthed him, but the ones that had saved him. The friends he had gained: Kelly, Hank, Linda, Tina, Lee, Galatea. His allies: Marshal, Ashleigh. His family: Claire, Terrence…the sisters he'd never met… Madrid…Vally.

"**For all that ever will be.**"

He saw his daughter grow, mature into radiance. He saw the friends she would make, the loves she would have, the victories in life and in battle.

He saw her meet a man that would hold her heart better then Carter ever could.

He saw her hold his grandchildren.

"**This is why I fight, Merrick…**" he whispered, a tear running down his cheek. "**And this is why you fail**"

&

"…hope. Hope is a candle against the night…hope can drive back the darkness…and bring a new dawn."

-Mohinder Suresh

&

"**Panic"**

Carter exploded.

&

Time seemed to stand still as they all slowly rose to their feet, their sight returning. The last they had seen was Carter and Merrick engulfed in whammy energy, a tower of flames that touched Heaven. The whirling vortex had flashed once, before they were all struck, the entire town flooded. But where they had expected pain and fear, all of them only felt love and reassurance.

Now, they looked about, trying to get their fried eyes to work, to see what had happened…

"Carter?" Helena called out. "Carter…" She took a step forward, Marshal groping and pulling her back. "Don't you dare do this to us again!" She screamed in agony, tears falling free.

Galatea shivered, Lee holding her tight. Tina and Kelly tried to deny it, to hold onto hope that was fading. Hank and Linda could only stare, their nightmare revisited. Biddy and Ashleigh offered what comfort they could to the others, while Terrence stared dumbly about, even Elle a shade paler as Bob rubbed his eyes, trying to rid himself of the tiny dots of light that bounced around his sockets.

Madrid and Vally remained standing, blinded eyes slowly clearing.

"He's ok…" Madrid whispered. "Daddy's ok…"

"No one…could survive that." Elle whispered, Bob turning to glare at her for her blunt comment.

"You'd be surprised what you can live through."

Helena looked up slowly, blinking. "C…Carter?"

Marching towards them, the limp body of Merrick Delpine in his arms, was Carter Daniels, the energy that had been pouring from the razor-thin cuts now gone, leaving only beads of blood.

"DADDY!" Vally screamed, rushing to her father. Carter laid Merrick down gently, scooping Vally up in his place, barely managing to stand before Madrid collided with him, sending the three toppling as she peppered him with kisses, the three laughing.

"Don't you ever do that again!" Madrid scolded, smiling as the rest of their group rushed him, all trying to hug him at once, no one minding the blood that got on their clothing.

Ashleigh and Hank were the first to look down at Merrick, noting his shallow breathing and glassy, dead eyes. "What did you do to him?"

Carter sneered. "He said it himself…to kill him would make me like him, but there was no prison that could hold him. So I made him one." He narrowed his eyes.

"His mind." Tina said, first to realize it. "You trapped him in his own mind."

Carter nodded, voice eerily calm. "Its amazing what changing the chemicals in the brain can do. He was resistant…but I broke through. I altered everything…he's a vegetable…as close to the line between life and death a man can be. I left him everything…he can hear us, he can see us…but he can't do anything. His body is useless now…" Carter leaned slightly closer to his enemy. "And he is going to live a very…very long time…with only what I left him to keep him sane."

"What…what did you leave him?" Kelly whispered.

"Fear." Carter said coldly.

"Well done, Mr. Daniels." Bob praised, slowly clapping his hands. "Well done. Now then…I would suggest you begin to make your retreat…we will clean up the damage."

"Retreat?" Carter questioned.

"You really expect to destroy half of Flint and not have people ask questions?" Bob questioned. "But before you go…about our deal?"

"Merrick is yours…Vally left Sergei in the building, no idea where Riker went. Anthony was on the building…you might find his remains." Carter said.

"Very good…now, if you could hand over the others."

"Others?" Galatea questioned.

Bob nodded. "Merrick's son, his sister, and Riker's partner."

Linda glared at Bob. "Hank's not part of the Alliance…"

"He is a Delpine…"

"In name only." Helena said. "He is my son's brother…he is a Daniels…he belongs to us."

Lee stepped forward. "The Ashleigh that worked with Merrick is dead. This one merely wears her face…an innocent."

"And Biddy suffered torture and brain damage from Riker." Hank snapped, moving to defend the woman, Biddy touched.

Bob merely nodded to his men. "Safeties." The soldiers aimed their weapons at the group.

"Safeties." Madrid echoed, summoning a pantheon of arms, each with a loaded gun. The river behind the Company roared as Linda called to it, Marshal snarling and Lee readying to call his troops, Tina's acid dripping from her fingers. At the forefront, Carter and Vally stepped forward, both bursting into their flame forms. Madrid smirked. "Mine are bigger then yours."

Bob nodded, holding out his hands. "Stand down." The men did as he commanded. "I'll give you 5 hours…in exchange for Mr. Delpine, Miss Delpine, and Miss Bargo staying with you."

Carter frowned. "And Marshal and my mother are free of any duties."

"They will be treated as the fugitives you are."

"Nice doing business with you." Madrid said, dropping her extra guns and retracting her arms. "Come on…lets go." The group nodded, Linda summoning the river once more. The gang piled into Merrick's discarded van, Carter pausing to collect Seth's body, the Flint River pulling it back into the channel. By the time anyone would be up to see the odd sight, the group would be on their boat, heading for open waters.

"What now?" Hank asked.

Helena looked down at Seth. "We make for Alliance Headquarters. We return Seth's body to them…then we break Vic out."

Carter nodded, remembering well that his grandfather still held his adopted father prisoner. "And if they don't play nice…we continue what we started here." He glanced at them all. "This was only the beginning…the Alliance won't back off now, and neither will The Company…if anyone wants out, to try and make it on their own…"

Lee shook his head. "We're with you Carter."

Madrid laid her head on his shoulder. "All the way."

Carter nodded, smiling slightly. "Then lets go save my father."


	46. Revelations

"EEEEE!" Vally squealed, dashing happily around the deck of the boat, trying to avoid Marshal who was chasing after her trying to tickle her senseless. "No!" Vally giggled, dodging Marshal's outstretched hand. "No tickles!"

Marshal laughed, leaping towards the toddler. "Should have thought of that before you pounced on me while I was napping and ask me to play! Well, I say we are playing…tickle monster!"

"EEEE!" Vally laughed, body flashing pink as she super speeded away.

"No fair!" Marshal called out, giving chase, passing Helena and Linda.

"Stop complaining, Marshal. You're an adult…you should be able to catch a little girl," Helena commented.

Vally streaked past them, leaving a trail of pink flames in her wake. Marshal waved at the trail, eyes wide and pleading for understanding. When he got none from the two women, he stalked off to go continue the game.

"We really need to talk to the lovebirds about Speedy Gonzales," Tina said, sitting down next to the women. "Before she ends up falling overboard."

"Been there, done that," Linda commented. "She swam around the boat and leapt back on."

Helena chuckled at her granddaughter's antics. "Let her play…its been a stressful few months."

After the Battle of Flint, as Hank and Lee had taken to calling it, the group had made their way back to their boat, quickly setting sail before the Company or the Alliance could track them. Ashleigh had called upon her few memories of visiting other members of the Alliance to figure out roughly where Daniel stayed, giving the team a course.

Now on track, and with the boat being manned by clones that knew what they were doing instead of just having Linda push the boat about, the group had made their way into open waters, the group was able to recuperate and prepare for the potential battle to come. Hank, Lee and Ashleigh were hold up together, trying to piece their strange family tree together. Kelly was off meditating, trying to strengthen her abilities, while Galatea used Biddy as her new punching bag, determined to find a way through the other woman's defenses even as Biddy just stood there and let her rally against her.

"Where are the two love birds, anyway?" Tina asked, watching as Vally happily leapt over Marshal, flashing a smile before zipping off.

"Where do you think?" Linda commented with a smirk.

* * *

In Carter's cabin, it looked like a tornado had hit a fashion store. Bits of clothing littered the floor; a shirt flung over a lamp, a shoe perked on the desk, Carter's duster slung over the end table, a pink thong caught on the door jam like mistletoe.

The bed sheets were a twisted mess, just managing to cover Madrid relaxed body as she curled closer to Carter. The young man had his arm around her, tracing patterns along her bare back. The actress' hair fell about them like a dark curtain, her lips tracing one of the nastier cuts that adorned his chest.

"They are healing." She commented softly. "Look better then they did yesterday."

It had taken the group returning to the boat before they realized just how bad of shape they were all in. Most had some scrapes and cuts, Lee had pulled a muscle in his shoulder, a bullet had grazed Marshal, and Helena had a nice shiner on her eye. Madrid was one of the better ones, even if she had been shot dead. Hank had several cracked ribs, bruises all over and some cuts along his face.

Carter looked like he'd been dragged through hell.

He had several broken ribs, his legs were burned from where he'd fallen through the roof, his entire body was a patchwork of bruises. The worst though were the cuts that lined his body. When Vally had amped him up, she hadn't realized the power her father had, causing the whammy flames to bust open his skin all over. Carter had just managed to get onto the boat before he collapsed from blood loss.

Madrid had quickly snatched up a drop of blood, duplicating it rapidly and letting it fall into an emptied Coke Bottle. Lee had drawn up a nurse (A slutty one, for which he'd been forced to hide behind his mother when Galatea came after him), who had worked quickly to try and patch the man up.

Madrid shivered as she remembered that long, long day.

* * *

(One Week Earlier)

"Damn it…" Helena snarled, her fingers on her son's wrist, fear gripping her heart as she felt his heartbeat growing weaker.

"Daddy?" Vally whispered, Galatea rocking the toddler as she used her super-strength to keep her from rushing towards her father.

"Get her out of here." Lee snapped. "Everyone, if you don't have medical training or can't make things appear, you have to leave."

The nurse nodded, smiling and sticking out her breasts. "Mr. Malion is right," She said, her voice breathy, "I need room to work." Galatea shot Lee a deadly glare before leaving taking everyone except Marshal, Helena, Lee, and Madrid with her.

Madrid stroked Carter's had as he groaned, shifting as the nurse worked to stitch up the massive cuts on his back. "You need to calm down."

"Mmm…momma…" Carter mumbled.

"What is it, baby?" Helena whispered.

"…take this badge off of me." Carter whispered, eyes fluttering beneath their lids. "I can't use it anymore."

"What is he talking about?" Madrid asked, worry coloring her words.

"It's getting dark…to dark to see." Carter got out, panting hard.

"He's delusional…the blood loss is affecting his brain." Marshal said sadly. "We need to begin a transfer…Lee?"

"Done." Lee said, summoning the strange, leech-like creature. The slimey monster stuck its tail into one of the bottles of blood Madrid was making, attaching his jaws to Carter's arm. "This should work."

"Feel I'm knocking on Heaven's door." Carter groaned. "Knock knock knocking on heaven's door….knock knock knocking on Heaven's door. Knock knock knocking on heaven's door….knock knock knocking on Heaven's door."

Madrid glared at the delusional man. "You better pray no one answers." She looked skyward. "You hear me, Eden? Keep that damn door shut tight!"

"Momma, put my guns in the ground. I can shoot them anymore." Carter whispered. "That long black cloud is coming down. Feel I'm knocking on Heaven's door."

The room grew quiet, the only sounds that of the leech pumping blood, the nurse stitching and Carter's crazed quoting of Bob Dylan.

"Knock knock knocking on heaven's door….knock knock knocking on Heaven's door. Knock knock knocking on heaven's door….knock knock knocking on Heaven's door."

* * *

"Madrid?" Carter asked, running his fingers through her hair as the actress cried softly, holding him tight as if she were a child and he were a teddy bear. She couldn't stop thinking about how she had almost lost him…again…how she would have lost the gift this last week had been.

Obviously, she hadn't jumped into bed with him that first day, and not just because he was injured. Sergei had broken her heart, and she didn't trust herself around this new man quite yet. But as she spent those hours with him, watching him soothe Vally's fears that she had hurt him, around his friends and family, how he could sense the needs of others…

Eden had told her Carter had been made for her, as she was made for him. That Heaven had conspired to create them, a perfect match to stand against the coming storm. But in that week, she realized that her gut instinct during the Battle of Flint had been right: She did love him.

It took her 4 days before she finally broke down and had her way with him.

"Is death always so quiet?" She asked, remembering clearly her own short time on the other side.

Carter grimaced. "Yea…"

"…thought so." She whispered, holding him tight again, thinking about the battle that was sure to come.

They were about to face another storm.

She prayed to God that maybe this time…Carter could be given a break from the heroic sacrifice.

* * *

"You are all that remains?"

Riker held his position, remaining on his knees, wondering for the billionth time why he had returned to this place. And for the billionth time, his mind answers, "The Money".

"Yes." Riker said at last. "Ashleigh was destroyed by her 'good' side."

The woman before the assassin scoffed. "I warned her…told her I could feel the other one still in her head. Said that she should do something about it, but did she listen to me?" She glanced at Riker, as if expecting an answer. "NOOOO! She just went on her merry way. And now she is dead, stopping me from saying, "I told you so". Bitch."

"The Metatron beheaded Anthony."

The woman seemed oddly pleased with that. "The fool was never meant to lead…he worked as a reporter…he focused on acting like the humans…we are gods and he debased himself, ruined what respect we should have with his actions. My only regret is I didn't get to do the deed myself. Hmmm…perhaps I will send the Metatron a thank-you ham…laced with Anthrax, of course." She waved her hand at Riker. "Continue."

"Sergei disappeared…the Light dispatched him." Riker gulped. "Merrick…Merrick was taken hostage by The Company, his brain wiped by The Metatron. Hank…Hank has sided with the Voice of God."

The woman nodded, pacing the floor. "So my husband is gone and my son against me? Almost Biblical, if you think about it. Or maybe more like the Greeks. Yes, the Greeks would write something like this farcical tragedy." Marie Delpine, wife and Merrick and mother of Hank, chuckles softly as she looked out over the grand estate that was now all hers. The Delpines were dead, the heirs to Anthony's House, that is, only she remained…she was in power.

As it always should have been.

"You have done well, Riker…you served my husband, not well, we all must admit, as if you had done your job, he would be here at my side, but there is little we can do about your incompetence in the past. Better to ensure that it never happens again while you serve me."

"You?" Riker asked, not sure if he really wanted to be any more involved with all this insanity.

Marie grabbed his head, Riker screaming in agony as his eyes flickered, her slightly mad, slightly amused smile held firm. "You don't have a choice, Riker. I say you will serve me…" She shoved him away, the rubber man groaning in pain as he clutched his head. "…or find out exactly how deep I can worm my way into your head." She stepped over his broken form, high heels clicking as she returned to the massive desk that had belonged to Anthony, throwing anything of sentimental value across the room. "Things are going to change, Riker…we are entering a new era, a new dynasty…a paradigm shift." She paused, placing a finger to her chin. "Is that the right word? Oh, who cares, I'm in charge." She sat down in the large desk chair, running her palms over the smoothed oak finish. "Oh yes…"

Riker coughed, slowly getting to his knees. "What…what do you want?"

"What do I want?" She asked, considering the question carefully. "I want to ensure my husband's foolish mistakes are not passed to me. I want my son at my side, ready to serve his mommy just as a good boy should. I want Daniel dead, just as Seth now is. I want the Alliance to bow before my stylish shoes and kiss the ground I walk on. And more then anything, I want the Metatron and the Light dead, buried and making my flower beds pretty." She paused, thinking dreamily about her flower garden being fertilized by Carter's broken body. "Mmm…such beautiful tulips." She shook her head quickly. "We will see to this Riker…mark my words."

"We?" Riker questioned.

Marie laughed. "Oh, not you, Riker. I don't trust you to do anything more then get me my side salad from McDonalds. Yes, you will be a good little manservant, doing just what your mistress says. Starting with rubbing my shoulders." Her smile twitched as Riker slowly rose. Seeing that look, he rushed behind her and began the massage. "Very good, very good. Now then, Riker, the 'we' I spoke of are the ones that will take out the Metatron…he thinks he has seen the full power of the Alliance? HA! He has only seen the force of one…it is time he faced our full strength, the militant arm of the Alliance, the elite swords that will cut him to pieces!"

Marie walked over to a phone and punched in a code that had not been entered in 28 years.

"Unleash the 7 Horns." She said calmly.

* * *

(The Château of Daniel Monroe, 70 minutes outside of Paris)

"Anyone else getting the feeling that we are about to find out Jesus and Mary had a kid?" Lee asked, looking about the estate.

"Jesus and his mom? Ew." Tina joked.

Hank growled. "Permission to hit her?"

"Denied." Helena said simply. "And yes, I'm getting a "The Da Vinci Code" feeling too." She nodded to Marshal. "Be on guard."

A servant led them to the main room, a grand, opulent ballroom that had been converted into some sort of strange throne room/tech center. Computer screens displayed images from around the world, faxes and monitors buzzed, and strange devices none of them had ever seen hummed happily as they worked. The room was dark, the once great stainless mirrors covered with bullet-proof steel, the walls laced with the likes and covered with drapes. Weapons from medieval to high tech hung all around them, causing Madrid's fingers to itch, just wanting to duplicate a few of them.

Before them, sitting on what could only be described as a throne, sat Daniel, dressed in a simple dress shirt and dark slacks.

He took a moment to observe the group. Kelly and Hank had insisted they stop for new clothes before the meeting, to be better prepared for a battle that could come. Most had gone with just simple jackets and jeans, plain long sleeve tees and good running shoes. Helena wore a tailored black jacket that concealed all her weapons of choice. Madrid was dressed in a similar fashion, slits cut in the fine leather to allow her to summon extra arms if needed. Carter wore all black: Shoes, jeans, shirt, duster and fingerless gloves, sword strapped to his back and Seth's broken body in his arms. Vally was cradled in Madrid's arms, dressed in a pink jacket and clutching her special bear.

"Hello Carter." Daniels said.

Carter laid Seth on the floor. "Merrick is dead."

Daniel nodded at the blunt comment. "I expected no less." He leaned forward. "So you have finally come take your birthright."

"If that is Alliance talk for my husband…" Helena said coldly, "…then yea."

Daniel merely smiled. "The famous Helena wit." He chuckled softly. "I take of Carter's inheritance, the gift I have longed to give him."

"And what is that, exactly?" Madrid questioned.

"The Alliance." Daniel said simply.

The group stared blankly at the old man for a few minutes.

"I'm sorry, I think I had some crazy in my ear…did you just claim The Alliance was a gift?" Tina asked.

Daniel nodded. "Of course." He waved his hand outward. "All of this is his and his family's…as it was meant to be." He smiled, his body tired. "It wasn't suppose to be this way, my son. Yes, the Alliance was originally made to combat my father, your great-grandfather Adam Monroe, the sword saint of Japanese legend, and his mad quest to rule the world. I did not see the darkness that grew within the Alliance, did not see as I was slowly removed from my place of respect. All sectors were corrupted…what I had envisioned as a noble organization, fighting to protect the world…became the very evil I sought to destroy.

"The worst came with the discovery of a tomb in Egypt in the early 1800s. Long lost, it was found by an explorer, and within it were treasures beyond imagine…and whispers of the future. The tomb was the final resting place of a magician for the Pharaoh…I do not doubt he was like us. It took us years to translate the works, but when we finally did, we discovered what is now known as "The Lost Gospel", which contained several prophecies…"The Son and the Lion", which foretold of Hank and Lee meeting and helping to destroy the House of Delpine. "The Prophecy of the Light" which spoke of a blessed daughter that would lead the world out of darkness…and the tale of the General and the Heir of Isaiah.

"If you doubt for a moment these words, look upon these." And with that, Daniel picked up a remote, opening a hidden alcove in the throne room. The group stared in shock as the door slide open, reveal statues made of the same stone as the pyramids. But what startled them all was that the statues were of them, arranged as they were now, dressed as they were, down to the bear in statue-Vally's arms. "The magician saw this day would come…the turning point in the world. When I viewed this, I knew that my grand work, my Alliance, had a new purpose. I was to guard this entity, protect it, until its true master came." He pointed at Carter. "You."

"Me?" Carter said, dubious. "You believe I'm the Master of the Alliance? The same group that tried to kill my family, that took my daughter?"

"There is a difference between the Alliance you are meant to master and the one that now lives. There were many of my allies that feared the arrival of the Light, the General and the Voice of God. They believed you would destroy them, become a dictator that ruled with an iron fist. They did not want this, so they sought to build up counter measures. But…as so often happens…they brought upon their nightmares. Their children and children's children became the dictators they feared, the monsters that sought to control the world. Through these actions your family was acted…and you brought retribution. In trying to stop their destruction, they caused it.

"Even now, they have not learned their lesson. The 7 Horns, the militant arm of The Alliance, has arisen. Merrick was one of their numbers, the 1st Horn, Ashleigh the 6th." Daniel glanced at Hank. "Your mother is their leader."

"My mother?" Hank whispered in shock.

"The final horn, the one that commands them and binds them. Your destruction of Merrick's mind has caused Hank's mother to declare war upon you. Soon you will face the greatest threats the world has ever known." Daniel looked down at Carter. "But there is hope. There are still some that side with me and my word. I am ready to surrender my post…our blood links us, and you are my heir. My allies will be yours, my wealth and power yours. You have no more need for those that stand behind you…I will provide them with whatever they desire and allow them to leave this place to return to their old lives. You are the only one needed." He smiled. "Too long you were told you weren't special, that you were worthless…many of those that stand behind you sought to harm you: Hank, Lee, Galatea, Ashleigh, Madrid…even your mother and Marshal worked for the Company that held you captive. You can not trust any of them…but you can trust me." He held out a hand. "If you join with me, Carter, we will be able to destroy the darkness that holds the Alliance, and once reborn, we all shall stand against my father and others like him and finally complete my life's work, the bring peace to this world and bring those like us out of the shadows. You will be remembered throughout the ages as a hero, as the savior of man…you will never go without wealth or love again. The women of the world will be yours to chose, the smallest pleasure at your fingers. We will make history. Please…my son…you are our only hope. Your hardships are over…you can rest."

Carter licked his lips, eyes steely as he locked his gaze on Daniel. He could hear the breathing behind him, each of his friends wondering how long it would take him to accept the offer, to cast them away. "Moving words, Daniel." He said at last. "Moving words. You want me to take over the Alliance…the family business, I guess? To throw away the only people that have ever meant anything to me!?" He roared, flames firing from his skin, waving his hand at the people behind him. "They have stood behind me, fought at my side to defeat Merrick while you hid here, while your allies did nothing. Seth refused to aid us until the end…no, grandfather, I do not think I need your idea of allies…of family. I have found I can not trust any of my blood family to stand at my side." He took a step closer "I have brothers already, they are Hank, Lee and Marshal." Lee and Hank blinked, forcing down their emotions so that they could stand by their leader. "I have many sisters: Kelly, Linda, Tina, Galatea, Ashleigh, Biddy." The women nodded, shame filling their hearts for ever doubting him. "I have the love of my daughter, Valencia, and the heart of the woman I will make my wife, Madrid." The actress gasped at the bold proclamation, Vally grinning ear to ear. "I have a mother who would die for me." Carter drew his sword and pointed it at his grandfather. "And I already have a father…his name is Vic Daniels. I have no need for you or your dreams of ash."

Daniel smiled as he stood, joy seeping through his weathered features. "You prove yourself…I offered you a final temptation…and you rejected it as you should. You have come a long way, Carter…a long way…and I am so proud of you." Tears were in his eyes as he walked towards him. "Yes…these people…your family…are what have kept you alive. And humble, I see. You care not for titles or wealth…only their protection." He held out his arms. "The Alliance, what little I control, is yours…all of you." He motioned to Lee, Hank, Galatea and Ashleigh. "The House of Delpine shall arise anew upon your shoulders." He looked at Kelly, Tina, Biddy, Linda and Marshal. "You will see those you love protected…your sins forgiven and redeemed." He smiled at Madrid and Vally. "You will finally know joy." He looked at Helena and Carter. "But for you two…I must ask forgiveness."

Helena's face scrunched in anger. "If you hurt Vic…"

"No." Daniel said. "I ask you both…to please forgive me…" And with that, the years melted away, Daniel's power returning him to his youth. Wrinkles were pulled smooth, gray hair became a brilliant shade of black, his back straightened as he rose to his full height, at the peak of life. He was 40 again, the only sign of age in his eyes. "…for the hurt I caused you my wife…my son."

Helena held her hand to her mouth, Carter's sword dropping to the ground as their stared at Daniel.

"Vic?"

"D-d-d-dad?"

* * *

End of Volume 2

* * *

Volume 3

Villains

(Company Prison-The Alaskan Wilderness, 60 miles outside of Juno)

Merrick thrashed about his cot, eyes flicking all about. He was strapped down, dressed in a hospital gown, his head shaved and a barcode tattooed on his forehead.

There was no way The Company was letting him go.

The techs were busy with other things, none of them caring to watch over the mostly brain dead man. There were other people to monitor, other people to observe…Merrick Delpine wasn't a concern.

That's why none of them saw the portal open.

That's why none of them saw the four figures step through.

They were all dressed in black, head to toe. There were so slight variations, as two were women, obviously, though woman appeared an adult, the other barely a teenager. The two men were also a bit different, the same age or close to it as the woman, one wearing a sword on his back, the other guns.

The woman in black took the lead, looking at Merrick carefully. "I always wondered how you died…why we never heard from you again." Her hand shot out and stopped his head from twitching, forcing him to look at her. "You won't hurt my family again." She leaned in close. "But I want you to see my face before you die…to remember who ended your reign."

The woman ripped off the black full-head mask, swishing her long black hair, her tanned Latino skin managing to look good even under the harsh lights of the Company cell.

"A…Alverez." Merrick whispered in horror, his first sane thought in weeks.

"Didn't you get the memo?" The woman asked, drawing a gun from her belt and pressing it to Merrick's skull. "Its Daniels now."

She fired 3 shots, reducing Merrick's brains to mush, before she pulled her mask back on. "One down…6 to go." She said coldly, walking back through the portal, the other three following after her.

* * *

(We see Merrick standing in Flint, the building behind him burning)

"The first angel blew his trumpet, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were hurled to the earth;"

-The Revelation of John, 8:7

(A trumpet sounds, and we see Carter standing in an office, overlooking a skyline, dark clouds on the horizon. The image switches to a shadow on the ground)

"The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea."

-The Revelation of John, 8:8

(We see Madrid and Vally dressed up in fine dresses, watching as the elite of the elite swarm about them. We cut to another shadow)

"The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water."

-The Revelation of John, 8:10

(We see a great mansion, Kelly and Tina looking out one of the windows, it hard to tell if they are prisoners or they're of their free will. Another shadows appears)

"The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light was darkened;"

-The Revelation of John, 8:12

(We see Biddy sitting in her room, looking at her hands, not noticing spiders that begin spilling out of the air vent.)

"And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit; he opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. And from the shaft came locust…"

-The Revelation of John, 9:1

(We see Ashleigh staring at Lee, behind her a mirror showing a grinning version of herself taunting them both)

"Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.""

-The Revelation of John, 9:13

(We see Marie Delpine and Carter stared at each other, both ready for a fight)

"Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet..."

-The Revelation of John, 11:15

(We see Carter and his group standing before a group of shadows strangers, ready for battle.)

**Elsewhere**

**Volume 3**

**Villains**

_"The 7 Horns are Unleashed…September 2008"_

* * *

Meanwhile, in two weeks…discover the story between volumes 2 and 3…

(We see Charlie Raegan finally escaping from the parking garage, looking about the carnage that was Flint)

And learn how far a man will go to find his daughter

Snapshots from Elsewhere: Aftermath


	47. The Second Coming

Volume 3

Volume 3

Villains

(Company Prison-The Alaskan Wilderness, 60 miles outside of Juno)

(1 Month after The Battle of Flint)

Merrick thrashed about his cot, eyes flicking all about. He was strapped down, dressed in a hospital gown, his head shaved and a barcode tattooed on his forehead.

There was no way The Company was letting him go.

The techs were busy with other things, none of them caring to watch over the mostly brain dead man. There were other people to monitor, other people to observe…Merrick Delpine wasn't a concern.

That's why none of them saw the portal open.

That's why none of them saw the four figures step through.

They were all dressed in black, head to toe. There were so slight variations, as two were women, obviously, though one woman appeared an adult, the other barely a teenager. The two men were also a bit different, the same age or close to it as the woman, one wearing guns.

The woman in black took the lead, looking at Merrick carefully. "I always wondered how you died…why we never heard from you again." Her hand shot out and stopped his head from twitching, forcing him to look at her. "You won't hurt my family again." She leaned in close. "But I want you to see my face before you die…to remember who ended your reign."

The woman ripped off the black full-head mask, swishing her long black hair, her tanned Latino skin managing to look good even under the harsh lights of the Company cell as she forced Merrick to stare at her.

"A…Alverez." Merrick whispered in horror, his first sane thought in weeks.

"Didn't you get the memo?" The woman asked, drawing a gun from her belt and pressing it to Merrick's skull. "Its Daniels now."

She fired 3 shots, reducing Merrick's brains to mush, before she pulled her mask back on. "One down…6 to go." She said coldly, walking back through the portal, the other three following after her.

&

(Philadelphia- 2 Months after The Battle of Flint)

"Its not as bad as Flint." Charlie Raegan commented, flicking a cigarette butt onto the crowd. The police chief…former police chief…of the city of Flint, never took his eyes off the building, not even as his wife spoke.

"Nothing is as bad as Flint."

Renee Raegan was not a stunning beauty, that much could be said. No, her beauty was more natural…down to Earth. She was a primal beauty, a product of a long forgotten era now trapped in this work. Ebony skin, long black hair twisted in a massive French braid, little emo glasses perked on her nose. She was a contrast to her husband, a lean but muscular man with slightly graying black hair and dark skin speckled with black freckles.

"Especially now." Renee commented, turning to watch as the construction crews worked to add a new beam to the United States Mint. "What is the official story?"

Audrey Hanson, FBI agent and the woman that always seemed to get stuck on the bizarre cases, shook her head. "All sorts of things. There was water damage, blown out ceiling and floors, an explosion…they are trying to do everything they can not to call it a terrorist attack."

Charlie nodded, shaking his head. "Things are getting pretty strange in the world, aren't they?"

"I have a serial killer ripping the brains out of people, a blast of light of New York City, the US Mint attacked, and now Flint, Michigan has been reduced to a warzone." Audrey nodded. "yeah…things are getting strange."

Renee turned to the over woman. "When we came to you last month, you said you could help us find our daughter…we are no closer to her…did you lie to us?"

Audrey sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "We will find her…"

"Don't think we haven't noticed the men following us, Ms. Hanson." Charlie said coldly. "You've been having us tailed…I'd like the truth."

Audrey frowned. "What are you…"

"Lets lay the cards on the table, shall we?" Charlie snapped. "We've been using each other. We've been telling you we knew a lot about what happened in Flint. We don't. Not a damn thing. Only what you've seen on Youtube from crackpots: The same woman, a million of them, battle the guys from 300 and stormtroopers, with a bunch of people on the Missing Persons List leading them. We only said we knew anything to get your help finding our daughter. You, in turn, are lying about ever letting us see her."

"I don't…"

"STOP!" Charlie roared. "You can't lie to me!" He grabbed her arm. "Now, the truth! Why are we being followed? Why have you wasted our time these last 2 months darting around across the country…WHY!?"

"For bait!" Audrey finally snapped. "We're using you as bait, ok? Your daughter is connected now to two terrorist acts…we were hoping she would contact you…"

"And you could kill her." Renee snarled, taking a step forward. "Bitch."

Audrey didn't look fazed. "I am doing what needs to be done, for the safety of the country. And unfortunately, you don't have a choice in the matter. You're going to keep helping us, or we are going to throw you in a cell for lying to the United States Government."

Charlie nodded, taking out another cigarette and lighting it up. "Figured as much." He said calmly, before flicking the butt right into Audrey's face, he and his wife darting for an alley.

"Don't do this." Audrey grumbled, giving chase as she pulled out her firearm. "This is Agent Hanson, perusing the Raegans…" She called over her walkie, darting into the alley. "There is no where to…"

Audrey found herself at a dead end.

"…run?"

&

Above the agent, Renee stuck out her tongue. "You ok, baby?"

Charlie looked up at his wife from where he clung to her leg. "Just peachy…"

Renee nodded, pressing her hand against the wall and slowly climbing up it with ease, despite the fact there were no handholds at all.

&

"We lost them, gentlemen." Special Agent Lorenzo Bast, liaison for the FBI, stated calmly, placing folders in front of each member of the Cabinet. "Our one link to Carter Daniels…gone."

The Secretary of Defense frowned. "How was this allowed to happen?"

"A sloppy mistake…Agent Hanson will be dealt with, sir." Lorenzo stated calmly.

"I still do not see why you are pushing so many resources in finding this Mr. Daniels." The Secretary of State commented. "I have not seen a shred of evidence to suggest this young man is nothing more than a runaway…yet you tell us he is some sort of new-breed terrorist?"

Lorenzo opened one folder and slid it over to the men and women. "I'll review the facts one final time: Carter Daniels put 3 men in the hospital in September of 2007. Several weeks later, after he had run away with Mr. Hank Delpine, Ms. Kelly Raegan and Professor Linda Frey, a clerk in Ohio stated he saw a man matching Daniels' description attack a man with, and I quote, "Silver fire.". A week later, the United States Mint is attacked…eyewitnesses place Mr. Delpine and a woman believed to be Carter Daniels' mother, Helena Daniels at the scene. 2 months later, Mr. Daniels is seen in Flint, during what the bloggers are calling The Battle of Flint…"

The Secretary of Homeland Security nodded. "Something must be done…even if Daniels is innocent, proving that will atleast allow us to focus on the true task at hand."

Lorenzo nodded. "I'd like to place additional men on the case, as well as commission another 3 million monthly on locating Mr. Daniels…" The agent frowned as an aide entered the room, hurrying to the President and whispering in his ear. "Sir?"

The President smiled in weak amusement. "Turn on the TV."

&

"…just joining us, we are live at Morbius INC, where recluse CEO Daniel Richards is about to make a major announcement about the company."

"Tiffany, what can you tell us about Morbius INC, for those viewers that haven't heard of them?" the anchor asked.

"…Morbius INC is a leading software company, with several branches in Europe and the United States, as well as a branch in Japan. Some of their most famous products are a new brand of DVD encryption software, as well as their gaming division putting out the top rated video game BOOSTER GOLD: THE GAME."

"And what of Daniel Richards, the CEO?"

"As many who follow business know, Daniel took over Morbius from his father, Thomas Richards, 30 years ago at the age of 18. At that time, Daniel disappeared from public view, running the business mostly from the shadows. No one really knew what happened to him, and there was talk that he had sold off his shares and allowed the Board of Directors run the company, but with this announcement…" Tiffany paused. "Wait…there he is now, Mr. Richards!"

Daniel Richards stepped up to the podium that sat at the long table that had been set up in front of the throng of reporters, clearing his throat as they snapped photos of the reclusive billionaire.

"Members of the press, I will make this brief. Many of you know how I came to be CEO of Morbius…but beyond that, I have allowed little of my life to be seen. The truth is…I went into hiding so that I may lead a normal life." The reporters buzzed with this news. "I married a woman I love very much, and adopted a son, who I have spent these years raising to be a strong, confident young man…someone I feel is ready to take over for me." The reporters' buzzing grew stronger. "I would like to introduce myself properly…my name is Vic Daniels…" he waved his hand, and a group of people began to enter. "And this is my family…my wife, Helena…and my son, the new CEO of Morbius…Carter Daniels."

The reporters shouted questions as Carter Daniels stepped towards the table, leading a parade of new faces. Carter, for his part, was dressed in a fine Italian suit, a gray silk shirt under the black jacket, a blue tie highlighting his eyes as he took his place at the podium.

"Please, I would like to make my own statement before I answer any questions." Carter said, taking control of the room. "You will dig up soon that a few months ago, I 'ran away' from home. I assure you…I did not. This was done to allow me reason to slip away, so that I could complete my training with my father so that I could be ready to take command of Morbius." He waved his hand to his friends, seated at his right. "These people learned of my true identity and helped me, and as such have been rewarded. I plan to pay back all government and local law agencies for the costs wasted in searching for me and my friends." Carter nodded, moving to take his seat next to a little girl wearing a pink party dress and a woman in a stunning black business suit. "We will now take questions."

"Mr. Daniels!" One reporter called out. "Who are all these people you said helped you?"

Carter nodded towards the other end of the table. "My name is Hank Delpine." Hank stated, introducing himself.

"Kelly Raegan."

"Biddy Bargo."

"Linda Frey."

"Tina Linderman."

"Marshal Wise."

"Lee Malion."

"Galatea Malion."

"Ashleigh Delpine-Malion."

&

(Santa Barbara)

"Claire…Claire get in here!"

Claire, looking up from her science book, frowned. "Mom, I'm busy here!" She rolled her eyes. "Not the best impression if I don't do my homework for the first day…"

"Claire…you need to see this." Noah Bennet said, his voice on edge.

Standing up, the cheerleader made her way to the living room, just avoiding Mr. Muggles. "What is…"

Her eyes widened as she stared at the face on screen…the same face that stared back at her each night when she looked at the picture frame she kept hidden in her closet…the face of the brother she had never gotten to know but already felt like she knew all her life.

"Carter?" She managed to get out…

…before fainting dead away.

&

"Are you watching this?" Angela Petrelli asked.

On the other end of the phone, Terrence nodded. "Oh yeah."

"Increase security around Adam…we don't want his grandson staging a jail break."

&

Charlie and Renee Raegan stared at the television screen in the electronics store, dazed.

&

Marie Delpine smirked. "Well…hello stranger." She whispered.

&

"Matt!" Molly called out. "Look…it's the people that broke in here!"

&

"Huh?" Ando said in surprise, watching in the limo with Hiro's father as Carter spoke. "Isn't that the swordsman you fought?"

Hiro's father glowered.

&

"Turn off that shat." Ricky called out to his sister, hauling the limp body of Peter Petrelli into the pub. "We got bigger things to worry about!"

&

Carter turned to the little girl next to him, smiling. "And this is…"

"HEY!" The 4 year old called out, annoyed. "I can introduce myself!" She said, her squeaky voice ruining any anger that it held.

The reporters laughed as the child climbed onto the table and grabbed one of the mics. "HELLO!" She said loudly, before Carter pulled the mic back. "Sowwy." She mumbled, before turning to the reporters, tapping her foot.

Carter made a motion for the reporters to repeat their question.

"Oh…sorry…and who might you be?" The reporters asked, already know exactly who she was…it was hard not to know the most famous runaway toddler in the world.

The girl beamed. "I am Valencia Anna-Maria Alverez-Daniels!" Vally said happily. She turned to the woman at Carters left. "And this is Maddy." She said rather plainly.

"And what about me?" Carter asked.

Vally smiled, love shining clearly in her eyes as she rocked back and forth. "And this is my daddy." She claimed.

The room burst into chaos.

"Ms. Alverez, is this true?"

"How is this possible?"

"Why the coverup?"

"Are you the real father?"

"QUIET!" Carter and Vally both shouted, staring at each other for a moment before turning to the crowd.

"Geez, they get more and more alike each day." Hank quipped softly.

Carter turned to the reporters. "To answer you questions…it doesn't matter how Madrid and I met…that part of our lives is off limits. What does matter is that Vally is correct…I am her father…and more than that, Madrid is Vally's birth mother." Carter smiled weakly, using the story he and Madrid had crafted. "What I can tell you was we did not plan this, and as such, we decided, to keep our growing relationship out of the public eye, to claim Vally was Madrid's sister. Madrid's parents knew this…they loved their granddaughter…but now, with this move…I feel it is time to share my love with the world."

"Mr. Daniels!" One reporter called out. "What would you say to shareholders concerned with this news that you have, for a lack of a better word, a baby mama?"

Madrid glared at the reporter. "I'm right here." She snapped. "And it shouldn't matter to them…but if they are such prudes, I make only one suggestion…" Madrid grabbed Carter's hand, showing the world their matching wedding bands. "…watch what you say about my husband."


	48. The Butterfly Effect

Elsewhere: Volume 3-Villians

"And in the darkness I saw it…a light that pierced the shadow. But it brought me no joy, for as I drew closer, the light did not blind me, but made me see. Not joy…not happiness…but the horrors that had been hidden in the night, that I had knew there but never given face."

-Mohinder Suresh

(1 Month Later)

(Morbius Headquarters-Paris)

"What do you mean, I can't see my husband?" Madrid asked sternly, tapping her foot.

Carter's secretary, a dark skinned metrosexual man, gave her a weak smile.

"Mr. Daniels orders." Marcellus said, knowing full well he was caught between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, Carter Daniels could fire him. On the other…Madrid would kill him. "…let me get the door opened."

Madrid nodded, Tina smirking slightly. "I knew there was a reason I liked you, Nico Robin." She commented.

"I don't get that reference." Madrid said as Marcellus unlocked the door.

"Well, there is this pirate manga about this guy named Luffy…"

Tina was cut off when the sounds of a marching band burst through their ears. The two stared at each other, before pushing themselves into the office.

The two of them ignored the fine furniture, the heavy mahogany desk, the amazing view of Paris…and instead focused on Carter.

Yes, he was also just as richly made up as the office, in his Italian suit and perfectly groomed hair. And, much to Madrid's thanks, he'd finally shaved that damn beard he'd grown a few months back.

No, what they were more interested in watching was Carter moving about the room, pumping his fist and singing to the music, Vally, dressed in a yellow t-shirt and blue jeans, mimicking him as Hank and Kelly watched on.

"Hail! To the victors valliant! Hail! To the counqor'ng heroes! Hail! Hail! To Mighigan the champions of the west!"

Vally grinned. "GO BLUE!"

"Carter…" Madrid said sternly, tapping her foot.

Carter turned sheepishly. "Uh…hi there, oh dear and sweet wife o' mine."

"Can the cute talk…why are you teaching our daughter the University of Michigan Fight Song?"

"Uh…because its fun?" Hank offered, only to receive twin glares from Madrid and Tina.

Madrid turned her eyes to Carter. "Lee is waiting for you…"

Carter sighed. "I'll be there in a minute." Under his breath, he muttered, "Not letting you corrupt her with your UCLA garbage…"

His wife rolled her eyes, before shooting him an amused look. "Did you hear the news? Your sister's dad, that Petrelli guy…claims he spoke to God…that he was sent to do God's will."

Carter glanced at her, sharing a smile with his bride. "We were doing that before it was fashionable. People need to stop stealing our bit."

Madrid nodded, heading out the door, only to hear Kelly say, "One more time…for luck."

As the singing began again, Madrid turned to Tina and sighed. "We are dating 12 year olds."

&

Linda and Marshal looked over the maps, considering what was being presented to them. Since taking over Morbius INC, one of the many front companies for The Alliance, Linda had found herself in the position of being Carter's go to agent when it came to fieldwork. Her brains and her powers meant that she could handle pretty much anything. And with Marshal helping up, Linda had been learning the ropes quickly.

Currently, the two of them were looking over the technical readouts of the Primatech, Helana and Vic laying out the key points.

"Security locks on doors here, here and here…" Helena stated.

Linda frowned, holding up a hand. "Mind explaining to me one more time why we are hitting a paper company?"

Vic shook his head. "Not a paper company. This is one of the major strongholds of the company, their many office for their top agents. Including Noah Bennet…their number one superhuman hunter."

Helena nodded. "During my time with the company, I formed an Alliance with Bennet. We each wanted to protect our children, the son and daughter of Meredith Gordon. Bennet wanted to hide Claire…he thought that's what I wanted too. He never knew my real goal was to bring Carter in and take over The Company, for the two of us to be its commanders." She gave a weak smile. "Plans…changed, in part, with my husband."

It had taken a while for Vic to earn back the trust of his wife. To find out that the man you married was in fact immortal did tend to cause one to question what else he could be hiding. In the end, Helena had forgiven him.

Carter however…

Once the family had settled down, Helena and Vic had found themselves on the outside. Carter had, within the span of 4 months, learned that his parents weren't mild mannered, caring people that had adopted him purely out of kindness.

No…beneath the love, beneath the good will…his mother had found him because she was spying on him, trying to find a new "project" for The Company. And his father had abandoned his first wife, Carter's grandmother, and only returned to his life because he believed that his grandson/son was destined to stop Vic's insane father, Adam Monroe.

He had told them he loved them, that he was thankful…but suddenly his parents found themselves watching on as their son married a woman he just met and raised the daughter none of them knew he had. And while already Carter was proving to be a wonderful father and a attentive, loving husband, his parents longed to once again have their son back fully in their lives.

Thus, because it was secrets that had torn them apart, they turned to a new, secret mission.

"Bennet may have some of my records still in his computer…and I do not want a single piece of information about Carter leaked to the Company."

Marshal shook his head, the former Company agent remembering Bennet well. "Assuming Bennet was stupid, which he wasn't, if the Company hasn't already found the files…why care? Things have changed so much…"

Vic turned to a television screen, displaying the image of a destroyed building. "Pharatech…destroyed several months ago by Ted Sprague at command of Hana Gietelmen."

"We know this." Marshal said, quieting when a new image appeared.

"Elctrotech…known as a alternative fuels factory, a front for the training school for field agents…destroyed 4 weeks ago." Another image appeared, Vic gesturing to it. "The Company's Alaskan Prison…destroyed 2 weeks ago…same method." Several more images appeared. "Other buildings, all with ties in some way to the Company…either safe houses or allies…gone."

Helena nodded. "A new player is targeting The Company. Each building is destroyed the same, the databases stolen…" She pulled up a final photo, Linda turning her head in horror at the image of a body, the head blown clear off. "No survivors. The Company is not letting ANYONE know of this…we only know because of my built in behind-the-firewall measures." She locked eyes with the two. "This threat is right now to the Company…but it could turn to us…to my son. I want you to go to Primatech, get the files…and find out who is attacking those buildings. DO NOT ENGAGE! If whoever this is can take out Company buildings like this…I don't think any of us could stand up to him or her."

&

(Paris Streets)

"Its too much, Hank."

Hank Delpine smiled, shaking his head as they looked about the jewelery store. Biddy Bargo was at his side, examining a case filled with gold and silver trinkets. "Nonsense…you deserve this." He kissed her forehead gently, running his fingers through her hair.

Biddy smiled softly, her eyes drifting shut. "Are we moving too fast?"

Hank chuckled. "Lets see…Carter and Madrid slept together after only knowing each other for 2 months. We were a week…but I think that can be forgiven." He nuzzled her cheek, "How could I resist you?"

"You couldn't." She murmured.

"Damn straight." Hank whispered. "Carter and Madrid got married 2 weeks after they got back together, after Flint." He held up the engagement ring he'd selected for her, slipping it on her finger. "And they had a daughter before they even met…"

Hank swiveled Biddy's chair, running his fingers down her sides before lifting her shirt up and pressing his lips to her tummy.

"…so they beat us on that too." He whispered.

&

(Morbius Headquarters- Paris)

Lee looked over at Carter, who was waving goodbye to Vally. "Ya wanted to see me, boss?" He quipped.

Carter sighed. "Don't do that. I get enough of that crap from the secretary."

"Couldn't find a hot one with nice cans?"

"I could, but Madrid wouldn't take the job." Carter said with a smirk. He clasped his hand on Lee's shoulder. "I need your help with something."

"You always do, nowadays." Lee commented.

Carter nodded, leading Lee to a folder, not realizing he was doing exactly what his parents had been doing just moments earlier. "Lee…you remember Isaac Mendez?"

Lee nodded sadly, remembering well his old school buddy. He thought back to their last meeting, when Lee had gotten on Isaac's case about him going back on heroin. Isaac had…snapped back, and the two had left on bitter terms.

Several months later, Isaac had been found dead…his head cut open and brain removed.

Lee trembled as he thought of the man that he now knew killed his friend.

Sylar.

"Yeah…I remember."

Carter nodded, knowing how hard this was for his friend. "Lee…he's in a better place…"

The artist cut him off. "I know…you said you saw him…after I…I…"

"Killed me?" Carter asked.

"Yeah." Lee whispered.

Carter opened the folder. "You made that up to me Lee…I told you that…you helped save my daughter…we are more than even. But now…now I have a way you can make it up to Isaac."

Lee perked up at that.

"Isaac Mendez could draw the future…his painting were sought after by the Company as they predicted a series of events…the near destruction of New York, the rise of my great grandfather, Adam Monroe…" Carter paused, "The Company…they thought they had found all the paintings." He pulled out a photo. "They did…but they missed the sketches."

Lee's hand shook as he looked at the photo. It captured the image of a sketch done a cover of a notepad, a drawing of a man in Carter's black duster, a cowboy hat atop his head and his eyes, the only spot of color, blood red. Under it was a simple title: Isaiah.

"Isaac produced several notebooks, but only two so far were found to be named. One, which I am still tracking, was named HEROES. It was his first notebook. The second, one he completed a month before he died, he named ELSEWHERE." Carter paused, choosing his words carefully. "The agents I assigned to investigate Isaac believe that, because of his involvement with the destruction of New York, the HEROES sketchbook refers to them…while the ELSEWHERE book refers…"

"To us." Lee finished.

"Exactly." Carter said. He locked eyes with Lee. "We need that sketchbook, Lee…we need to see if there is anything about our future in it." Carter took out a second form. "One of the spies I inherited when I got this job keeps track of auctions…this book had been sought by Linderman, but was lost…now, someone found it…and is putting it for auction in New York. Lee…you know Isaac's work…you know what his style was…I need you and Galatea to go to New York and retrieve it…make sure it is the real deal, and bring it back. We…we can't let Isaac's last work fall in the wrong hands.

Lee nodded. "Of course…"

RING

Carter held up a finger, hitting the speakerphone option on his phone. "This is Carter Daniels."

"Sir, this is Wallace."

"Another of my agents I gained through this promotion. I have him watching my sister." Carter said to Lee. "Wallace, I am here with Lee Malion. You may speak freely…is Claire alright?"

"Sir, there has been an incident."

Carter frowned. "Is Claire ok?"

"She is recovering…but…"

"Wallace…what is it…what happened?"

"Sylar."

Carter and Lee both froze in horror.

"Sylar found her." Wallace repeated.

&

(Delpine Mansion- Swiss Alps)

"It would be too easy to attack Carter right away. As much as I would enjoy crushing him like the bug he is…and rest assure, I could." Marie Delpine, the wife of the deceased Merrick Delpine, mother of Hank Delpine, and leader of the 7 Horns, looking over at the man seated before her. "Any of us could kill him…he is a weakling that got lucky. My husband was stupid, tried to take on Carter the wrong way. You can go about crushing him with brute force, just do it right. No, my husband had to get showy. I won't make the same mistake. I want showy, but I can't have that and crush Carter…so I will go with a slow death. Only fitting that it will mean I get to take care of a loose end."

Quint, the first of the 7 Horns, frowned. "Uh…whats it you wants mes to do?"

Marie sighed. "I want you to kill the tramp my son is now with." She pulled up an image of Hank and Biddy, only a week old. "I thought I raised him so well…taught him to wait for marriage, like God wanted. And he goes and impregnents the women he's been dating for a few weeks. Wonderful…oh so wonderful. Of course, I thought I had taught him to respect his mother and father, and now he betrays us…and now he dares breed with that whore…to mix the great Delpine line with her ilk…the harlot and the bastard child must be destroyed. OF course, my son will not go along with it…" She sighed. "So we have to kill him. How should a mother feel about killing her son and his unborn child? I feel...sadish…There's 22 years down the drain. Should have smothered him when he was a baby and bought a puppy instead."

&

(Moribus Headquarters)

Carter grabbed the suitcase from the maid, slipping her a 20 for getting the task done in only 20 minutes, before bursting out of his stately bedroom and marching down the hall.

"Where are you going?" Helena called out, giving chase.

"I'm going to America." Carter said sternly.

Vic rushed towards them both. "Carter, you can't go running off now! Morbius needs you…we have agents to do this."

"You run it for a few days…I need a vacation."

Helena shook her head. "They want you dead, Carter! The Company, the United States Government, the members of The Alliance that have not come to stand behind you as their new leader…they want you to do this!"

"Then let them come!"

"What do you expect to do?" His father demanded.

Carter never broke stride. "I am going to find Claire, make sure she is ok…then I am going to find Sylar and kill him."

Helena shook her head. "You're not thinking clearly…"

"He tried to kill Claire, mom!" Carter roared, flashes flashing along his skin. "He murdered Eden! Should I wait for him to go after my other sisters? For him to go after my wife? My child?" He scoffed. "And don't give me that crap about him being my cousin…apparently there is some debate who is mother actually is." He chuckled at Vic's stammers. "Yeah, I did research dad…I was going to be a reporter, remember?"

"Carter…don't do this…" Helena pleaded. "He's immortal now…he can survive any attack…maybe even your whammies…"

"Then I'll have to crank it up…or find a way to shut his powers down." Carter said, heading towards the elevator.

"I don't want you killed again!" Helena shouted.

Carter stopped at this.

"I'm…I'm not strong enough." Helena whispered, tears in her eyes. "I can't lose you…not again."

Carter turned, walking to his parents and placing a hand on each of their shoulders. "And I'm not going to…but I need to stop him…its my duty. I am the Metatron…I can't let evil continue to exist." He smiled softly, squeezing their shoulders. "I'll be back…I promise."

Neither said a word as Carter walked into the elevator, the doors shutting tight.

3 minutes later, the doors opened to reveal Madrid and Vally standing next to a limo in the garage, each holding a suitcase.

"If you think you are talking us out of coming…think again." Madrid said sternly.

"Yeah!" Vally pipped in.

Carter smirked. "Well…I know better than to argue with you two."

&

(Odessa, Texas)

Click click click

Joseph held the guard close, looking down at the mutilated bodies that lay around them. "You know…I think it is funny. I work for this Company for…what was it…oh yes, 18 years …and when I come back to, 10 long years later, to visit my old friends…do you guys say hello? Do you wave and ask me how I am?" He laughed, holding the guard tight, clicking his tongue. "NO! You shoot at me! Shoot!" He reached down and plucked a bullet from the sandy ground. He clicked his tongue. "Little good that did you."

Click click click

The guard shuddered. "Please…not that…"

Joseph tilted his head. "Why so scared? We all have to die sometime…I just like sending people out in style." He paused, adjusting the collar of the heavy bomber's jacket he wore, fingers tracing the spots where dry blood, a decade old, still clung. "They didn't get to go out in style…oh no…they didn't at all. Did you ever hear about them…about why I am the way I am?"

Click click click

"Y-y-y-y-yes."

The man grinned. "Wonderful!" He pulled the guard close, so their lips were almost touching. "Then I won't have to repeat it." He clicked his tongue again. "You know, I'm secure in my masculinity. I love women…but hey…if it's good enough for the Eurotrash…how about a goodbye kiss?"

"N-mmmm!" The guard screamed, cut off as Joseph slammed his lips to his, forcing the guard's mouth open.

CLICK!

Joseph rolled his head, wiping the blood from his lips, staring at where the guard's head had been moments.

"Parting is such sweet sorrow." He mused, dropping the body and hold out a hand, snapping his fingers

BOOM!

The amplified soundwave tore through the fence, revealing exactly what he was looking for…

"May it ever be so humble…" Joseph whispered as he entered the Primatech property.

Snap snap snap.

&

Auhtor's Note: Carter's line about stealing bits is a dig at the show. I had the first guy die and talk to God. I also had 'the light' long before Hiro came up with it (Though, if Tim Krieg would like to feature Carter and Vally and the rest of the cast, do so freely and with my fan boy glee). And if that blue flame guy's fire turns into silver whammy energy….


	49. One of Us, One of Them

Chapter 3- One of Us, One of Them: Carter, Madrid and Vally manage to sneak into the USA, and set about tracking Claire, nearl

"It is elemental, the need to protect those we call kin. It is how we survived to become the dominate species, how we now continue to rise and grow as a people. It is the driving force in all our actions, and a dangerous lesson for those that seek to prey upon us, both for hero and for villain: To attack one is to attack all."

-Mohinder Suresh

"Is there anything else I can get you, Mr. Daniels?"

"We're good."

The stewardess smiled. "I could get a blanket for her…"

Carter looked down at Vally, the little girl cocooned in his duster, eyes shut as she sucked her thumb, deep in the middle of what Carter could sense was a happy dream (and boy wasn't that weird being able to sense his daughter's dreams just through the way the chemicals in her brain were happily flowing?).

"Are you kidding? She'd kill me."

(The Daniels Family- International Flight 372 to Los Angles)

The stewardess nodded, staring down at the toddler. "She's beautiful." The woman batted her eyes. "She looks like her father."

"She has her mother's eyes…especially when she is mad." Carter smirked. "Oh yeah…there's the look."

The stewardess turned to find Madrid glaring at her.

"You're in my way." Madrid said, her tone icy. The woman moved, only for Madrid to grab Carter by his tie and drag him into a searing kiss. The stewardess smiled weakly and hurried off to help some other passengers.

The Spanish Beauty licked her lips as she released her husband, purring happily as she sat down beside him and made sure Vally was tucked in good.

"Geez, why don't you just pee on me to mark your territory."

"Who says I'm not planning to?" Madrid whispered softly, running her hand up Carter's leg. "You know…you adapt well to First Class. Glad I suggested it?"

Carter shrugged. "It made sense. Everyone may be after us…but it's a lot harder to kidnap one of the most famous faces in the world at the moment. And if we draw attention to ourselves, The Company and The Alliance members that are after us won't even think about making a move." He looked around the cabin. "Think it's a little too much though…would prefer coach to save the money…"

"Carter, you inherited 40 million dollars when you became CEO of Morbius…and Morbius itself is worth almost a billion…we don't need to worry about cash."

The young man chuckled. "I know…still getting use to it, though." He paused, looking past Madrid so he could watch Vally draw in another shallow breath. "You sure it is safe taking her?"

Madrid nodded. "First off, I love the fact that I am rich again. I really do. And the mansion is nice and all that. But I will never forget that Morbius INC, the "harmless little tech company"…is just one of the face companies for The Alliance…the group that took her from us once…I'd rather have her right here than any place else."

Carter wrapped an arm around her, kissing his wife's forehead. "And no one will again. The Alliance, the part I control and whoever remains to stand against us…will never hurt either of you again." His eyes burnt silver. "I'll kill them if I have to."

Madrid nodded. "I know." She sighed, stroking Vally's hair. "Heaven was beautiful, Carter…but I don't want our little girl seeing it just yet."

&

Renee frowned as she returned to seat, shivering in disgust. "If you need to use the bathroom…hold it."

(Renee and Charlie Raegan- International Flight 781 to London-Coach)

Charlie nodded. "That bad?"

"Worse." Renee stated. "Why are we flying coach again?"

"Because we are trying to save money. The government is going to be hunting us, trying to use us as bait to get to our daughter. That means our savings accounts are frozen." Charlie ticked the points off one by one. "Criminals always need money, food, transportation, and a place to crash. The first 24 hours are vital. Police know a criminal will seek these things out, so they cut them off, watch the most obvious places to gain them…and hope the criminal does something stupid." He leaned back, smiling softly. "But we have something on our side…30 years on the police force."

Renee scoffed. "I think it's my past that is going to help us."

Charlie couldn't argue with that, remembering just who it was that had gotten them the fake passports.

&

(Primatech Company-Odessa, Texas)

Terrence Harper looked over the file, sighing as he catalogued each inmate that had managed to escape Level 5. "The German, Knox..." Terrence rolled his neck. "Remind me to kill Elle if I ever find her."

"Kill…Elle." Terrence's assistant stated.

"This is no time to joke." The Company Elite Guard Agent stated coldly. "Thanks to her little explosion, Angela Petrelli needs me to hunt down firestarters and puppet masters and Jesse…" he scoffed. "Jesse…just what we need, a sound manipulator."

"Actually, Jesse can only fire off concussion screams. Now me…I'm the sound manipulator."

Terrence barely had time to turn before his assistant was sent flying through the air, crashing to the floor with a sickening crunch. The agent held out his hand, only to be sent flying as well.

"Oh Terrence…is that any way to greet your old teacher?"

"J…Joseph." Terrence groaned.

"In the flesh." Joseph said, holding out his fingers. "Now then…be a good boy and hand over those files, would you?"

"Never." Terrence snarled, reaching out and seizing Joseph's nerves. Joseph cried out, falling to his knees. "You always wanted to talk, Joseph…I saw too many targets escape because you never did what needed to be done." He sent another shock through his former trainer. "And then…because of one misunderstanding…you decide its ok to murder 145 Company agents?"

Joseph grit his teeth, fighting through the pain. It felt like his skin was melting and his blood was freezing at the same time. "MISUNDERSTANDING!?"

BOOM

Terrence cried out as he was sent flying again, the sonic boom from when Joseph had screamed. Before he could react, Joseph snapped his fingers, the mini sound blasts shattering his leg bones and causing the young man to scream in agony.

"No Terrence…the only misunderstanding was on their end…thinking they could do what they want." Joseph fingered his bomber jacket, touching the spots of old dried blood. "They took my world…now I am returning the favor."

Company agents poured into the hall, raising their guns. Joseph winked at Terrence, quickly snapping his fingers over and over. Gunshots rang out, Joseph using the echo from the shots and his own snapping to make a wall of sound that stopped the bullets dead.

"My turn.' Joseph said, snapping his fingers several times and sending the agents flying. "Bring my total up to an even 180, Terrence." Joseph said, snatching the file from his old student and looking it over as he went to inspect the dead agents' corpses. "Did I forget to mention that I killed 20 guards on my way in. Oh well." He continued reading. "I didn't come here for all of this." Joseph said calmly. "Sure, I did hope to kill some people, but all I really wanted to do was see how you were handling things. Heard through the grapevine that some Level 5 prisoners got out…you confirmed it, my boy. Knox, Jesse…maybe I should look them…"

Joseph raised an eyebrow, his eye twitching as he read over the document in his hands. He slowly turned towards Terrence, his expression grim.

"Why am I number 4?"

"What…what are you…" Terrence ground out. He'd shut off his pain receptors, but he was losing blood fast.

Joseph growled, storming over to him and getting to work to tie off Terrence's broken legs so to prevent him from dying of blood loss. "Ever since I began my vendetta against this Company, I was the most wanted man here. Now…now I've been bumped to FOURTH!?" He got right in Terrence's face. "Who do you idiots think is more dangerous than me?" Terrence looked down at the list. "Number 3…Gabriel Gray, aka Sylar…sounds like Skeletor's gay brother."

"Sylar…is a serial killer…" Terrence mumbled.

"And I'm not?" Joseph questioned.

"He steals…powers…"

Joseph raised an eyebrow. "Now that's interesting." He looked back at the list. "Carter Daniels…an empathetic beat me?"

"Not…empathetic." Terrence whispered.

Joseph read over the description. "Oh yes, now I see…emotion manipulator…Omega level A class…just like Mr. Sylar…good to see that you are keeping people of my level and class above me at least." Finishing with his work, and sure Terrence would survive a bit longer, Joseph pressed his final question. "So we have a serial power stealer-killer, and some boy that calls himself the Metatron, the Voice of God ahead of me…but tell, Terrence…why the hell is a toddler beating me?" Joseph held up the file, pointing to the number one name: Valencia Alverez-Daniels. "And why isn't this baby's power listed?"

Terrence shut his eyes.

"Answer me, damn it!"

"Never." Terrence snarled. "I'll never tell you about Valencia…" 'I'll never tell you about my niece.' He thought.

Joseph nodded. "That's ok, Terrence…don't tell me…I'm sure I can find out myself…after I get through with dealing with Sylar and the Metatron." Joseph held up his hands, slamming them together, sending a massive sonic blast through the building. As the walls began to crumble, he calmly walked to the door. "Its time to rattle the cage, my boy! Its time to rattle the cage."

&

"We are pilgrims in an unholy land…once again." Lee stated, looking around New York in disgust.

(Lee and Galatea- New York City)

Galatea glanced at him. "Calm down…it isn't that bad."

"Yankees are going to win it all in 08, baby!" A man called out. "Red Sox suck!"

Galatea restrained Lee. "Calm down or I will knock you out." She meant it too. "We are on a mission."

"Fine." Lee grumbled, heading into the auction house and adjusting his tie. "Had to take out my ear piercings, had to wash the dye out of my hair…" He touched his dark locks in disappointment, already missing the purple that usually streaked it. "Damn."

Galatea rolled her eyes, her Jessica side deciding to take charge. Which was ironic, as she was letting Galatea do the talking. "Mr. Winthrop?" She called out, a huge smile on her face. "Tea and Lee Malion…how are you?"

Mr. Winthrop, a tall, perfectly groomed British man, smiled and shook their hands. "Hello my dear. So good of you to make the trip. When we heard that Morbius INC was interested in the sketchbook, we were shocked."

"Mr. Daniels is a fan of Isaac Mendez…he was turned to it by Tina Linderman…Daniel Linderman's daughter."

"Of course…" Mr. Winthrop led them out of the main entry way and into a showroom. "We have quite a few different groups showing interest, of course. I hope you brought your checkbooks."

"We did." Lee said, finally snapping out of his stupor. He looked down at the sketchbook, which was contained I a glass case. "There it is…" He whispered. "The ELSEWHERE sketchbook."

"Yes." The man stated.

Galatea nodded, letting Jessica take control once more. "Tell me…do you have any photos of the sketches? We wish to verify that this is a true Mendez."

Mr. Winthrop frowned. "I'm not sure that is possible…"

"We have several other groups that claim this sketchbook is a fake and they have the real one. We only want to verify that we are not…wasting our money…"

Mr. Winthrop nodded. His auction house could not afford a bad rep from the likes of Morbius INC. "I…do have one photo. It is of one of the middle sketches. Would that be enough?"

"For now, if you swear in writing it is in the book." Galatea/Jessica said.

"OF course." Winthrop answered, pulling the photo from his pocket.

Lee's eyes widened as he stared at the image. "We need to send this to Kelly and Tina…now."

&

"Looks at this…" Quint, the First of the & Horns, said to himself. "All sos pretty and loverly." He watched as Biddy and Hank made their way down the street.

Biddy was admiring her new engagement ring. Hank had decided to surprise her with an evening stroll along the boutiques, letting his girlfriend pick out exactly what she wanted to wear after the baby was born and she was, quote: "No longer the size of a whale."

"Hank, have I said thank you yet?" Biddy asked.

Hank smiled, running a finger along the nape of her neck. "Several times…but its me that should be thanking you…I got you a ring…you made me a daddy."

"Not that." Biddy said. "You…I don't think I could have made it these last few months without you. Carter vouched for me…but you made the others trust me." She smiled sadly. "I've never had friends…I lost my family thanks to Riker…Carter gave me back my sanity, but you gave me back my life…a better life."

Hank wrapped an arm around her. "You did the same for me." He took a breath. "I was so bad to Carter…mistreated him, bullied him. I didn't think I'd ever make it up to him. But you showed me that…that even when you do something horrible, you can still fight to make up for it. I'm going to be always grateful for this."

Biddy nodded, looking up at the stars. "Sometimes, I wonder how long things can last this good before they turn bad."

"Nows…I guess that's be my cue!" Quint chuckle, the laughter rolling along his bulk and causing his brown bangs to bounce about. "YO! HANK DELPINE!"

Hank turned towards Quint.

"YOUS MAMA SENDS HERS LOVE!" Quint shouted, veins bulging under his skin.

Hank barely had time to grab Biddy before the earthquake hit.

&

"How exactly are you going to do this?" Madrid asked, shifting the sleepy toddler that was currently in her arms from one hip to the other.

(The Daniels Family- The Bennet House)

Carter shrugged, looking at his watch. "I'll probably just tell her the truth, and let her know I am going to do everything to hunt down Sylar…of course, I'd love to do that sometime that isn't 3 in the morning." Carter knocked on the door. "Bet they are going to be real happy to see me."

The door swung open, revealing the last person Carter expected.

"Aunt Claire?" Vally murmured, staring at the older woman that had answered the door. She looked at Carter. "She older than I thought."

Madrid nodded. "Have to go with Vally on this one."

Meredith Gordon frowned. "Aunt Claire? What do you…" Her eyes widened as she took a step forward. "No…is it really you? Mr. Bennet told me you might come, but…"

Carter remained unmoved. "Yeah…its me."

Madrid frowned. "You know her?"

Carter shook his head. "No…I never knew her." Meredith flinched at the incrimination in the man's voice. "Madrid, Vally…meet my birth mother."

"You're mother?" Madrid whispered. "…the woman that gave you to the orphanage?"

Carter seemed to withdrawal into himself, jaw working as he closed his eyes. Vally stared on, frightened as she watched her father's hand tremble. "Y-y-yeah." He stammered.

Meredith looking back and forth between the two. "I think I'm missin' something here." She held out a hand, trying to make a good impression. "Hi, I'm…"

BAM!

"In the world!?" Mrs. Bennet cried out, coming to the door just in time to see Madrid summon an extra arm to punch Carter's birth mother out cold.

The Spanish actress smiled as she enter the house. "Mrs. Bennet, I presume. Madrid Daniels, nice to meet you." She used her third hand to shake Mrs. Bennet's hand while she carried Vally and pulled her luggage in. "Sorry about the trash I left on the floor."

&

(Carter Daniels' Mansion)

"I'm getting a fax from Lee!" Kelly called out. She leapt off the bed, hobbling to the fax machine, trying to keep her toes, and the cute French tips Tina had given them, off the rich plush carpet.

"You are so cute when you get excited." Tina said, leaning back and watching her girlfriend, practically vibrate waiting for the fax. "Like a puppy on Christmas or other shit like that."

Kelly stuck out her tongue. "Come on…wouldn't you be excited to see your future…heck, you might get too, if this book is the real deal."

Tina frowned. "The future was my dad's deal. I focus on the here and now."

Kelly nodded. "Yea yea yea…but still, funny to peak once and a while…" She snatched up the fax. "Wonder if it shows Carter as an old man with wrinkles and all that creepy…"

Kelly's rambling died in her throat.

"Kel?" Tina asked, worried as her girlfriend turned two shades of white. The tracking-powered woman's eyes rolled into the back of her skull, Tina leaping forward and catching her before she fell. "Kelly!" Tina screamed, trying to rouse her. "Kelly, what…"

Tina froze, staring at the fax.

&

"_It is an elemental need, that can easily cause the greatest of us to fall."_

_&_

The sketch was of Carter and Madrid…but never as she had seen them before.

Madrid was slightly behind Carter, dressed in a midriff and tight pants, breasts jutting out and hips cocked. In one hand she held a gun, the other licking away blood from the back of her hand.

Carter stood just in front of her, his head tilt slightly down, a sneer on his face. His duster billow in the breeze, a tight shirt showcasing his muscles. He gripped his sword, the godfire, tightly, the blade soaked in blood. In his other hand was a severed head.

At their feet lay dead bodies.

The only color in the entire image was their eyes.

Their blood red, wicked eyes.

&

"You are either one of us…or one of them."

-Mohinder Suresh


	50. I Am Become Death

Elsewhere: Volume 3-Villians

Biddy gripped Hank's shoulder, eyes wide with panic as the ground beneath their feet rolled and twisted about manically. Hank wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her away from a rapidly growing crack.

(Paris, France)

"What's going on?!" Biddy cried, a bit of concrete bouncing against her head and flying back into the air, thudding several feet away. She trembled as se felt her muscles lock up, lumps of stone forcing her power to activate, bouncing back all dangers but also freezing her in her place.

Hank struggled to drag Biddy along, the task made harder by the bits of debris he had to dodge if he didn't want to…well, die.

"No clue…I'm pretty sure though it has something to do with my mom."

"You think?" Biddy asked, a bit of her old BeeBee self slipping through. Hank finally managed to dragged her away from one of the massive cracks in the road, and not a moment too soon. Just as they made it to the sidewalk, a boulder burst from the ground, unfurling and twisting until it took the form of a hand.

Hank shook his head. "Oh, just wonderful!" A second slowly rose from the ground, fingers twitching as it zeroed in on the two of them. "Time to go!" Hank muttered, instantly going invisibly, taking Biddy with him.

"Yous thinks you can avoid mes like that?" Quint called out, his Jersey accent cutting threw the panicked screams of the French. "Yous thinks that there disappearin' act will hides ya from me?" He laughed, the stone hands he had created raising high in the air. "Try this!"

Hank's eyes widened as the two stone hands slammed into the road, crushing pavement and sending a massive wave of that knocked him and his fiancée off their feet. Hank shook his head, forcing himself to remain invisible.

"I can dos this all day!" Quint called out, fingering the horn pendent around his next while slamming the stone fists once again.

"Even more wonderful." Hank muttered bitterly.

&

(Charlie and Renee Raegan- London)

"When is your buddy going to get here?" Charlie asked, blowing in his hands in a vain attempt to try and warm them up. The London afternoon was a cold one, zapping the strength from him. And considering he lived in Michigan…

Renee frowned. "He isn't a buddy."

Charlie nodded. "Figure of speech. When does this guy you know get here?"

"Soon." Renee stated. "And if you must know, he was a rival."

Her husband frowned. "A rival as in, "We both tried to get the same car and he got the better loan" or rival as in a professional?"

"Professional." Renee admitted.

Charlie turned her slowly. "You're kidding." When she did nothing to convince him she wasn't, Charlie began to pace. "You mean to tell me we are risking capture by Interpol to meet with someone that you use to compete with!? I've met a few of your rivals, Renee…hell, we've gone to enough of their funerals…I saw you dance on Rio Del Lupine's grave!"

"It wasn't a dance!" She stammered, saying softer, "It was a jig."

"WE ARE RELYING ON A CRIMINAL TO FIND OUR DAUGHTER!!"

Renee growled. "The last time I checked, you had no problem palling with criminals, Chief."

Charlie glared at her. "That was a low blow."

"Trouble in paradise?"

The two turned as Rodreck, Renee's old rival, stepped into view. He was dressed rather dashingly, in 2 piece black suit and olive colored vest, elegant ivory cane in hand. He had a pencil thin mustache, his dark brown hair receding slightly and gray at the temples. He walked up to Renee, bowing slightly

"Hello luv." He said with a smile, looking up at her before rising back up to face Charlie. "And who is this? Another pigeon?"

The former Chief of Police frowned, taking a step forward. "Her husband."

Rodreck grinned. "Is that so, old man? And how long have you and the missus been married?"

"Over 25 years."

Rodreck raised an eyebrow, turning to Renee. "When you run a con, you really make it a long con."

Renee was on him in a second, knife at her rival's throat. "Are we going to talk about the deal or what?"

Rodreck managed a grin. "Always fast on your feet." He pulled her hand away, fingers slipping down the chain that hung around his neck…and stroking the horn pendent that hung on it. "Come on."

&

(Bennet House)

"Why is she not back yet?" Carter cried out in frustration, pacing the length of the living room. "Doesn't she know how dangerous it is out there…what if Sylar…"

"Carter…you're wearing a hole in the carpet." Madrid said softly.

Meredith scoffed. "Yeah, worrying…that will really bring Claire back sooner."

Sandra Bennet glared at the other woman. "At least he is worried." She snapped.

"I'm worried!" Meredith exclaimed. "But I also think Claire is just having a sleepover and worry-boy here is just making himself sick."

"Oh, you think that, do you?" Carter questioned, frustrated. "Call off the police search, my white trash mama thinks my sister is A-ok!"

"Carter, not now." Sandra pleaded. The day had been nerve-wrecking for Sandra Bennet. She had to deal the drama that was Claire's birth mother, who seemed to think just because she squeezed the girl out from between her legs she had the right to comment on the situation. Add onto this the arrival of Claire's half-brother Carter and his family, thinking they were there to help Claire. Carter and them had woken up late in the afternoon, suffering from Jet Lag, only to find Claire still not back, causing him to become near irrational.

Thank God Lyle had volunteered to watch over Vally.

Meredith glared at him. "Do you have a problem with me, or somethin'? Because I sense hostility."

Carter raised an eyebrow. " Do I have a problem with you?" He let out a bitter laugh. "Do I…have a problem with you?" He began to laugh some more, the sound almost grating to hear. "Nah…why would I have a problem with you? You just abandoned me, left me all alone in this cruel, cruel world…nah, why don't we go take a paddle boat ride, mommy?"

"Excuse me…" Meredith piped up, "but I didn't just 'abandon you'. I gave you away to a nice orphanage…"

Carter was laughing again.

"Nice…nice?" His laughed died in his throat, a growl ripping from his lungs. "NICE?!" Silver whammy energy exploded from his back. He took several deep breaths, fighting to keep in control. Slowly, the flames receded. "You know, orphanages are not like they are in Annie. A little less singing a lot more with the beatings. Though, one of the women did enjoy singing Def Leopard as she hit me with a paddle…"

Sandra's eyes widened, her need to worry about Claire battling with her horror of what Carter was describing. "You're joking."

Carter narrowed his eyes, pulling off his black t-shirt and lifting his arms. Sandra felt her stomach heave as she looked at the hideous scars that lined his armpits. Madrid closed her eyes, all to aware of the scars but having never heard the story behind them. Even Meredith appeared a bit ill.

"They did it were no one would see them." Carter said, his voice hollow. "Got these when I was 4…the worst is when they do it and the inspection board comes the next day. They taught us to stand there, with our arms straight down…the blood would clot to your shirt and the cuts would slowly scab over the material. And because they didn't want you wasting shirts, they couldn't afford to cut them off, so they just ripped them clear away…ripped the wounds right back open."

Sandra lost the battle, rushing to the kitchen. The sound of her heaving could be heard throughout the house. All she could think about was how lucky she was that Noah had been given Claire…that her husband had decided to keep their little girl instead of giving in and giving her up.

Carter pulled his shirt back on. "But my miserable childhood doesn't matter right now…what matters is that Claire is gone and we need to find her."

"you deserved it."

Carter slowly turned, eyes narrowed, his breath coming out in short bursts. "What did you say?" He asked.

"Carter…" Madrid whispered, walking towards her husband. She could tell by the shake of his hand he was not as calm as he was forcing himself to appear to be.

"I said you deserved it." Meredith declared. "You obviously did something to deserve everything they did…not my fault if you were a bad boy."

"Bad?" Carter hissed. "Bad? What could a child do to deserve the beatings I got? What could I have ever done that was so wrong? Well…what?"

It was in that moment that Sandra realized Carter wasn't asking the questions sarcastically, demanding Meredith face up to her incredibly stupid comment.

Sandra realized the truth: Carter actually thought he deserved it all.

"Meredith…leave." Sandra said coldly, waiting for Carter's birthmother to leave before she spoke. "You weren't to blame." She whispered.

Carter turned to her, trying to smile. "You don't know that…I broke the rules, Mrs. Bennet. And when you break the rules…"

"What rules could you have broken that would justify…that." She questioned.

Madrid thought she had seen the scariest things in the world. Merrick holding her daughter…the Company prisons…but nothing matched seeing her husband, one of the most fearless and powerful men she had ever know…look absolutely terrified.

"No." Carter said, his voice weak. "We…we need to focus on Claire…"

Sandra shook her head. "You're no good to Claire if you aren't at full strength…Carter...tell us…"

"You have to be quiet." Carter whispered, staring down at the carpet, mouth open slightly. "At night…don't make noises, don't wake the other children, especially the babies. If you wake up the babies, that is bad. Don't scream…don't cry if you're scared. Don't make a sound when you have a nightmare, don't even whimper. If you do, you'll wake the babies…only bad boys wake the babies up. The babies need their sleep, its bad to not let them sleep…you're bad if you don't let them sleep…"

Madrid trembled, remembering all too well the many nights she had woken up to find Carter staring up at the ceiling, eyes wide. She would ask him if he was alright, and he would always say he was fine, in the softest voice possible, then ask her to check on Vally to make sure she was awake. And only when Madrid assured him that Vally was fine would he actually close his eyes and sleep.

Sometimes she had found him like that in the morning…and no matter how tired he seemed, he would always resist the urge to get up…

"God in Heaven." Madrid whispered, tears falling free.

Sandra felt another dry heave coming.

"I tried not to cry." Carter whispered, eyes shut, his body shaking. "I don't anymore…you can't wake the babies up, you can't make a s…s….s-s-s…" He grimaced, body trembling hard. "I…I learned not to s…s…speak…" He stuttered, silver flames appearing around his head…before they violently shattered. He fell to his knees, his breath coming out ragged. "Tried to fix it…couldn't…only cover it up…."

"What…what are you…" Sandra began.

"He whammied himself." Madrid answered softly. She'd always had a feeling Carter had used his powers on himself…this was her proof. "He boosted his confidence and courage, altered the chemicals in his brain to remove his fear…but he never got rid of them."

Sandra kneeled beside him, the mother in her forcing her to comfort this broken man before her. "It wasn't your fault." She whispered. "You were just a child."

"B…b…bad…" He ground out.

Sandra shook her head, suddenly feeling such a rage at the men and women that had done this to the young man before her…wishing Noah was with her…and thanking God he wasn't, as she knew well what she would ask him to do if he was. "No!" She snapped, Carter flinching. "You weren't…you were a child…you did what children do…it wasn't your fault."

Carter blinked, finally looking up at her. "I…I was a good boy." He finally got out.

Sandra pulled him into a hug, letting him cry on her shoulder. "It's ok…it's over…"

None of them noticed Vally watching from the door, tears in her eyes.

&

(New York City)

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU SOLD IT!?"

Galatea had never seen Lee like this. She had seem in power hungry. She had seen him angry. She had seen him near insanity, fancying himself a supervillain.

But she had never seen him with this much red hot fury.

Galatea was frightened.

Jessica was aroused.

The representative for the auction house trembled. "I…I am sorry sir! I terribly am! But a last minute deal was breached…we had to take the offer."

"I offered you money yesterday…I offered you millions for that sketchbook!" Lee snarled. "What could they have offered you…"

Mr. Winthrop waved his hand quickly towards several paintings. "Completed Isaac Mendez's. A treasure trove! Some of these have never been seen…"

Lee looked at the paintings hanging on the wall. "Who the hell would trade full paintings for a sketch book?"

Mr. Winthrop tried to move away from Lee, only for the artist to grab him once more. "They said that since no one had seen the sketchbook it was of higher value to them. That's why they gave us all these paintings!"

Lee grit his teeth. "I could have given you 10 times the worth of these paintings…"

"I'm sorry…but I can make you a great deal on the paintings…"

Lee shook his head. "I want the name of the buyer." He said coldly.

"I…I can't. Its against the rules…"

Lee pointed to a painting of 2 Japanese man standing below a "HOMECOMING" banner. "Galatea, destroy that."

Galatea frowned. "Are you…"

"Jessica, destroy that!" Lee called out.

Galatea shook as Jessica took over, giving him a saucy grin. "Mmm…mama likes this side of you." She walked over to the painting cocking her fist back.

"It's a masterpiece! You can't!"

"Oh, I'll buy it…" Lee said, "But this will still hurt you…"

"Petrelli!" Mr. Winthrop cried out. "I sold the sketchbook to Angela Petrelli!"

Lee nodded. "Now…was that so hard?" He snapped his fingers. "Jessica, Galatea…come on."

Jessica happily followed. "You know, we could make a really good evil team…"

Lee shook his head. "Did that, got the t-shirt, Carter has a better dental plan. Come on."

&

"Come on, yous can't hides forever!" Quint called out. He had created several more hands out of stone, the massive limbs forming a fence around the block and keeping anyone out. "Shows yourself, kids!"

Hank and Biddy were held up behind some garbage cans, Hank struggling to keep them hidden. "How are you holding up?" Biddy whispered.

Hank grit his teeth. "Never…held for this long…beginning to hurt…" He shook his head violently. "I can make it."

The earth rolled as Quint slammed two of his rock hands down.

"You can't." Biddy whispered. "We need to do something." She looked around. "Damn it…if we had a gun I could take him out…"

"No way…" Hank snapped. "You can't risk the baby."

"Nothing can hurt me, Hank…remember, everything bounces off?"

Hank looked at her. "He can still shake you…he can still scramble you up so bad…that he…the baby…"

Biddy's hands flew to her stomach has she realized the chances a fetus would have being slammed around her womb. She would survive…their child…

Hank shook his head. "No…you need to think about the baby now." He turned, standing up slowly. "On the count of three, I'm going visible. You wait for an opening and get back to Morbius…get Helena and Vic."

Biddy grabbed his arm. "He'll kill you!"

Hank turned to her, smiling weakly. "Can't think of a better way to die, beautiful."

"HANK!"

Hank turned his back on her, darting out of the alley and running full force towards Quint. "You want me! Here I am!"

Quint grinned, Hank almost making it too him before a stone cage burst from the ground, trapping Hank inside. He gasped as the rock began to close in on him, squeezing him tight. "OH…I don't want yous. I wants the missus!"

&

"You hurt my daddy."

Meredith had been seated on Claire's bed, indulging in a cigarette and trying to forget the fact that she had ruined both of her children's lives. Claire by taking advantage of her, using her for money and a place to crash…and Carter by being too quick in giving him up, never wondering for a moment if he would end up someplace safe. Now, her daughter hated her…and her son was leaning back and forth between broken puppy and bat-shit crazy.

And thus, a smoke was needed.

She'd only gotten through one when the little voice had filled the room, causing her to jump. Meredith turned to find Carter's daughter…

'My granddaughter'

…standing in the doorway, her face twisted in a cute little pout. The teddy bear she always carried was held firm in her left hand, her right reaching up to shut the door. She was done up in pink and pigtails, the very image of a daddy's little girl.

"What was that, sweetie?" Meredith asked.

"You hurt my daddy." Vally said again, her eyes red from crying.

Meredith tried to smile. "Your mom hurt me worse. She packs a mean punch."

The joke fell flat.

"You hurt…my daddy." Vally repeated once more, trying to swallow up the tears that were coming.

Meredith sighed. "Listen, you're young…I know this seems like I'm the bad guy…and maybe I am…but I did it…"

Meredith froze. Not because something had spooked her or startled her.

No…because she suddenly found herself feeling utterly weak.

Falling to a heap on the carpet, she managed to raise her eyes, barely able to tremble as Vally stepped into her view. The toddler's body was now pink energy, her hair blood red flames, her eyes golden and filled with anger. The little girl held up her hand, pink whammy flames dancing on her fingers.

"_You hurt my daddy,"_ She said, her voice shivering strangely. _"So I hurt you."_

Meredith grunted as her powers kicked in, flames appearing in her hands. But unlike other times, when the flames never harmed her, this time Meredith could feel the heat roasting her flesh, singling her skin and making her weakly cry out. Vally grit her teeth, her whammy flames piercing Meredith's very soul and causing the woman to let out silent screams. It felt like she was being torn to shreds, as if every tiny piece of her was being laid out in the sun to fry in an eternal heat.

Then, it was gone.

Vally stared at Meredith, golden eyes boring into Meredith's, not reacting in the slightest as bloody tears dripped from the woman's eyes. _"Hurt daddy again…I hurt you again."_ The toddler nodded as she depowered, then skipped out of the room, leaving Meredith to tremble on the floor.

&

"My God." Linda whispered, looking upon the wreckage of the Primatech building. Some of it still stood…but much was little more than rubble.

Marshal took a few steps forward, eyes wide. "Its…its gone. Everything is gone."

"What could have done this?" Linda whispered.

"Joseph."

The two turned, Linda holding up her hands to summon a blast of water, Marshal going into a hybrid wolf form. But instead of a threat, they found Terrence slumped against a slab of concrete. His leg was twisted badly, his shirt bloody, a piece of lumber covered in that same blood lying to his right from where he had ripped it out of his shoulder, his t-shirt pressed against the slowly bleeding wound. His eyes were hazy from bloodloss, his tanned skin marred with cuts.

Marshal took a step back. "What…what did you say?"

Terrence looked at the former agent of the Company. "Joseph…he did this…Marshal…Joseph…he's going after Sylar….he's going after Carter…" Terrence coughed. "He's going after Vally…Joseph…"

&

Carter stared at himself in the mirror, his eyes red and puffy, body still trembling.

"Carter…" Madrid said softly from her spot on the bed. The two were in Lyle's room, Sandra offering it to them for privacy. Vally was sleeping beside her, the toddler having walked in a hour ago appearing incredibly worn out. "Do you want to talk or…"

"Courage." Carter said simply, firing a whammy blast at the mirror. He grunted as it doubled back at him, covering his body.

"Stop it…" Madrid pleaded.

"Confidence." Carter said, firing another blast.

"You don't have to do this!" Madrid begged.

"Courage." Carter said again.

"Damn it, you don't need this!" She cried. "You're still the man I love."

Carter turned towards her, his eyes still haunted. "But not the man _**I **_want to be." He turned back to the mirror. "Confidence."

&

"How much air yous think hes gots left?" Quint called out, the stone cage squeezing Hank a bit harder. "One gasp…two…how mores before I breaks his ribs and makes his heart pop outs of his mouth?"

Biddy trembled from her hiding spot.

"Hows many licks does it take tos get to the centers of yours boyfriend?" Quint asked. "I coulds never make it withouts biting!"

"STOP!" Biddy cried out, leaping from her hiding spot. "PLEASE! I'll…I'll do what you want…just let him go."

Quint smiled. "Thanks…but I prefers this more." He clenched his hand, the cage tightening.

"NO!" Biddy screamed

CLANG!

Biddy blinked, staring in disbelief as the stone cage crumbled to dust, Hank falling to the ground, unconscious. She rushed to him, gathering him in her arms and staring at their savior.

The woman was dressed all in black, from her black boots to her black bodysuit, to the black mask that covered her head. Only the green lens that covered her eyes broke the darkness that was her outfit. In her hand she held a wicked blade, one that reminded Biddy at once of Carter's 'godfire' samurai sword. She examined it, before suddnenly thrusting it behind her, shattering a stone hand that was trying to sneak up on her.

The woman turned to Quint, holding up her blade. "1 down…"

Behind her, two men and a teenaged girl stepped from their hiding spots, each dressed in the same black outfits. The younger of the men held out his hands, purple flames much like Carter's whammy fire appeared, transforming into guns. The teenager's hands also burst into white flames. The older man hung back, joined by the woman.

"Orders mom?" The teenager asked.

The woman's tone made it clear she was smiling. "Destroy him."

The two nodded, before rushing Quint.


	51. Angels and Monsters

"Evil's root was not born of a dark seed. It was not grown from a wicked deed or vile thoughts. No, the first evil, the devil himself, was but an angel. The brightest of angels, the greatest of them all. But it was this greatness that destroyed him, and brought him unto ruin. And so it remains: within the greatest of angels…lies the greatest of monsters."

-Carter Daniels

&

The Four Hunters.

In another place, one of the most dangerous groups to ever live…the seekers of those with powers…

IN another world, they were feared.

In this world…they were about to show Quint just why.

"Destroy him." The woman said simply, letting the two youngest in the group (though the teenager was the only true "young one" as the two men were only separated by a year) take on the 2nd Horn.

"How should we do this?" The teen asked.

The younger man shrugged. "However you want…what's most fair?"

"No powers?" She offered.

The younger man nodded. "Yup, that will work."

The older man leaned over to his wife, whispering something that none of those gathered could hear. The woman snorted. "She does not get her stubborn streak from me!"

"How are these people?" Biddy questioned.

Hank glanced at her. "No clue, but they are saving us, so lets not question it."

Quint rolled his neck as the younger man and the teen slowly walked towards him, each extinguishing their whammy flames. The man kept his guns, while the teen pulled out two wicked looking daggers. "Yous think this is somes game?" He focused, the ground rumbling as a slab of rock emerged, taking the form of a 10 foot tall golem.

The teen looked over at her partner, waving a hand at it. "You want it?"

The man shrugged. "Why not?" Aiming his gun carefully, he only took one small step back as the golem thundered towards him. "Wait for it…"

BANG BANG BANG

Three shots, off in an instant.

Quint laughed. "Oh, like that's gonna dos ya any goods…"

The golem crumbled to dust.

"Pressure points, dumbass." The man said, twirling his guns. He turned to his companion. "You want him?"

"Please." She said, crouching down. Quint quickly created several more stone hands, in a vain attempt to stop her.

The teen chuckled darkly.

She was on him before any could realize what had happened. She leapt over the hands as if their were only two inches tall. She dodged attacks as if they were going in slow motions. She was graceful, powerful, and with her daggers…she was death in elegant form.

One slice, then two, and Quint barely had time to grab his throat as he blades tore through, his lifeblood spilling form his body. The teen leapt away, watching as the stone hands slowly fell apart.

The leader of the group took several step forwards, watching Quint as he died. "Tell the devil that The House of Ellis says hello." She turned her back on the dying man, nodding to her partner. "Open the gate."

The man nodded, a strange shimmering portal appearing before them. As the 4 slowly made their way towards it, Hank was broken from his stupor, realizing at once that the voice of the woman was too familiar…

"Madrid?"

The woman turned to look at him before her silent companion grabbed her, pulling her into the portal, leaving Hank and Biddy on the streets…alone.

&

"Stop looking at that thing."

(The Daniels' Family Mansion-France)

Kelly shook her head. "I can't help it…"

Tina sighed. "We should just burn the damn thing."

"I'm all for that." Vic said, entering the room. It had been him that had found the two women staring at the image, the little sketch of his son and daughter-in-law apparently turned evil, murdering several people, their eyes stained red.

Helena nodded, sitting down next to her husband. "Like my son would ever turn evil." She glanced at Vic. "Though, it does seem to run in his family."

Kelly frowned. "What does that mean?"

"Nothing." Vic said, crossing his arms.

Helena shook her head. "It seems like half of Carter's family is crazy or evil."

"They are not." Vic complained.

"Lets start with the brother and sisters, shall we? Carter's brother Terrence is a Company Agent, so was Eden…though I will admit Eden was not that bad. On the other side, we have Claire, who is just annoying."

Kelly chuckled weakly at that. When Tina gave her a look, Kelly shrugged. "Cheerleader."

"Say no more." Tina commented. "I did a psych paper on cheerleading and how it is a mother's way to live through her daughter like football is for men."

"Then there is Gabriel…"

"Who even I don't know if he is actually related to Carter anymore." Vic pointed out. At the looks he was receiving, Vic shrugged. "I didn't keep close eyes on Joyce and my kids…I only peaked in on Virginia, and within 5 years she went from single to married and a kid…how was I suppose to know she adopted baby Sylar?"

"If she actually did…we only have reports from our spies about Angella claiming that…"

"Sylar…as in THEE Sylar?" Kelly practically screamed. "Carter might be related to Sylar?!"

"Joyce?" Tina asked.

"His FIRST wife." Helena growled, glaring at Vic.

Vic held up his hands. "I didn't love her! Besides, without her, there would be no Edward, and without Edward, there is no Carter."

"SYLAR?!" Kelly shouted again.

"Ah yes, Edward." Helena said, her tone mocking. "The charmer that has knocked up a dozen women, who raped Carter's mother. And his mom! Lets not forget Meredith, the Barbie with kung-fu grip."

Kelly rubbed her head, becoming more disturbed with everything she heard. She knew Carter had a screwed up family… "Evil siblings, evil parents…" Tina cleared her throat. "Not that having an evil parent is a bad thing."

"Damn straight." The child of Mr. Linderman said coldly.

"And even if we skip Isaiah, the Horseman of Death…we have your dad, Vic…" Helena accused. "The great and very evil Adam Monroe."

"Adam?" Tina asked. "As in the guy my dad talked about again and again and again?"

"The same one." Vic commented glumly. "Ok, ok…so my family isn't the best…but me and Carter rose above that, alright…so what if my dad swore vengeance on Hiro Nakamura…so what if my grandson might be Sylar or that half of my granddaughters are bat-shit crazy…" He shrugged. "Its not like everyone's family is sweet and innocent."

Kelly shook her head. "It still makes me nervous…and I want to get to the bottom of all this prophecy stuff. Maybe there is something this image in the texts you first found?"

"Could be." Vic admitted. "I kinda stopped at the part where my great granddaughter/granddaughter would be the savior of the enhanced humans."

The former newspaper editor nodded. "Then I want to see those texts." She paused. "And by the way…my family is sweet and innocent."

&

"Renee Miller, or is it Raegan now? Legendary thief and master criminal, scourge of all police forces and one of the most devious and clever robbers to ever live. The woman that once replaced the portrait of Kennedy with a 3-d Eye Poster. The one on the top of Interpol's secret "Most Wanted Criminals" list, and who once had an entire division devoted to her at the FBI." Marie Delpine said happily as the Raegans were led into her parlor, Rodreck following behind them. "And…her boyfriend."

Charlie frowned. "Husband." He rolled his eyes.

(The Delpine's London Home)

Marie grinned. "And a police officer too, if I am correct. How very amusing, the great cat burglar married to the chief of the Flint city police. The dark and twisted fiend and the golden pillar of justice."

"You obviously know nothing about the Flint police if you think we are golden or a pillar of justice." Charlie commented, taking a seat. "Now, can we cut the monologue and get to the talk about our daughter?"

"But of course. I can be direct, when I want to be. It isn't that hard at all, really. I just rather prefer hearing myself speak, as I find the words soothing and tends to make this world seem a bit less bitter…"

"The point…" Renee interrupted, "is coming, right?"

Marie sighed. "Of course. We know exactly where your daughter is. That is the easy part…getting to her is the trick. The chateau she is currently at is being guarded by beings with abilities…abilities that are just as suited to their professions as yours are, Mrs. Raegan." Marie flipped out a folder. "But there is a way for you to get to her…if you are willing to help us."

Charlie frowned. "What do you want?"

Marie was about to speak when a beautiful blonde haired woman entered, moving to Marie and whispering in her ear. "I need to attend to business…Rodreck, come with me…" She smiled weakly. "I will be back in a moment."

As the 3 left, leaving husband and wife by themselves, Renee turned to her spouse. "Well?"

Charlie frowned. "Their telling the truth about where she is, and that they will help us…but there is an undercurrent of lies. She's hiding something, her true motive."

Renee nodded. "Then we'll have to ferret it out, won't we?"

&

Carter adjusted his suit jacket, watching on with a parental eye as Vally happily played on the jungle gym, putting his cell phone away. After a rather draining day at the Bennet house, he had decided that he was no good sitting around, waiting to find out what the hell Meredith was going to do to get Claire back.

He was going to take a more proactive approach.

Madrid was standing next to him, reassuring Vally that they were watching her as she moved about the monkey bars. She knew there was no real need for her to watch Vally…they had 20 armed Alliance agents, Carter's personal guard, stationed around the playground, just as they had been when they had stayed at the Bennet house. Carter didn't even command them; they were his father's agents, on command by his parents to protect their son and prevent him from having to stage a 3rd heroic sacrifice.

"Who was that?" Madrid asked.

"Sandra Bennet. I called it…Claire did a runner."

"What do we do now?" Madrid asked.

Carter frowned, watching Vally as she leapt down and ran to a slide. "You and Vally get on a plane, head back to Morbius…take as many of the damn guards that you can." He sighed, pulling on his jacket again. "I'm going after Claire."

"Is that so?" Madrid said stubbornly, glaring at her husband. "And does the little missus get to decide what she eats on the plane, or did her big strong husband decide that too?"

"I don't mean it like that…" Carter began.

"Doesn't matter, came out that way." Madrid poked him in the chest. "I've been training just as hard as you, Carter Daniels…I have full mastery of my powers." She pulled out her gun, making a second copy, then created a 3rd arm with its own gun, only to retract it. "I heal fast…maybe as fast as your precious Claire. And I may not be as strong or as fast as you and Vally, but I am faster and stronger than any agent here, thanks to whatever mojo Vally did to me to bring me back to life."

"This has nothing to do with how strong you are." Carter snapped.

"Then what is it about?"

"Me not being strong enough." Before Madrid could reply, Carter lowered his head. "I can't lose you two…I can't." He shook his head. "Madrid…I'm running on full whammy energy…and these guys Claire is after…they scare me. It isn't a matter of if they will hurt someone…its when. I…I won't survive if I lose either of you. I won't risk you on my quest to ensure the one remaining member of my family I can actually stand is safe."

Madrid reached out, stroking his cheek and pressing her forehead to his. "They are my crazy family too, Carter. The day I married you is the day I let all your crazy brothers and sisters into my life…they are mine to protect, just as they are yours." She kissed him softly. "We're coming, Carter…deal with it."

"Daddy!" Vally called out. "Time to go?"

Carter glanced at Madrid, before nodding. "Yeah princess…its time to find your Aunt Claire."

&

(New York)

"And in a sad piece of news, our colleague, Anthony Delpine, was laid to rest today, his body finally recovered…"

Lee grinned as he entered the hotel suite, a piece of paper in hand. Galatea was laying on the bed, watching the news and finding it rather boring.

"They have it…the auctioneer wasn't lying to us." Lee said happily.

Galatea grinned. "The Elsewhere sketchbook? Angela Petrelli has it?"

Lee nodded. "I bribed her maid to photograph an image from it and bring it to me. Its one of Isaac's, alright."

The artist unrolled the paper, revealing a simple pencil sketch. It was a portrait of two men, their backs to each other. One was Carter, dressed in black, a dark look passing over his features, his hand on fire. The other was an older man in white, holding a rose with a look of simple joy.

Galatea shook as Jessica took over. "Linderman." She snarled.

"Tina's dad?" Lee tilted his head. "She has his ears."

"This came from the sketchbook?" Jessica/Galatea asked.

Lee nodded. "Even have the title- Daniel: The Voice of God."

Jessica laughed. "Anyone that thinks Daniel Linderman is the voice of god must be crazy."

The artist frowned. "Well, Isaac did do a lot of drugs…the point is, we know the book is there…and tomorrow, we are going to get it back."

"How are we going to do that?" Jessica asked.

"Simple…we steal it."

&

Carter hung up his cellphone. "Driver, turn around."

Madrid looked up at him. "What now?" Carter gave her a sour look. "Claire came home?"

"Right after we travel 3 hours East." He rubbed his head in frustration. "I swear, my family is trying to kill me."

"HEY!" Vally shouted.

"Ok, my none Hispanic family."

Vally grinned. "That better." She paused. "Do I get to play with Mr. Muggles again?"

Carter grinned. "You sure do, princess."

Madrid frowned, glancing out the window. "We haven't turned around."

The man known as The Metatron nodded. "Driver…we need to turn around…"

"I'm afraid I can't do that, sir." The woman driving the limo told them over the intercom.

"And why not?"

The woman shrugged. "Because if we turn around, my boss is going to succeed in killing Prof. Frey."

&

Bennet glared at Sylar as he drove along the dark back road, making his way towards Company headquarters.

"I get the sense you are mad at me." Sylar said innocently.

"You think?" Bennet said, white hot rage in his voice. "You tried to turn my daughter against me, make her look at me the same way she looks at you…"

Sylar glanced over at him. " And it wouldn't have happened if you hadn't tried to kill me." He smirked. "Besides…maybe she should look at you like that. You were going to either kill a man or force him to kill someone…sounds a lot worse than what I do…I have a reason for what I do…"

"I do what I to for the good of my family. You…you're just evil."

"No, Mr. Bennet." A voice said calmly, as if it were right in their ears.

SNAP

The car flipped in the air, the front smashed to bits, slamming down on its roof and leaving the two men inside dazed.

"He's not the evil one…" The speaker grinned, holding out his hands as he emerged from the side of the road. "I am."

"Joseph…" Bennet whispered from where he hung, still in his seat thanks to his seat belt.

SNAP

The car spun like a top, its back denting in and trapping the two men.

Joseph looked over at Bennet, the man struggling to free himself. "Stay down, young man…" He sighed dramatically. "I can't believe you fell for it…I can't believe you followed this breadtrail the entire time. When I gave you that lead on our little Black Hole maker, I was planning to kill you there. But then when I saw your daughter…well…I decided it would be much more fun to kill you and your new boy toy, then go and murder her and the rest of your family." He turned to Sylar, grinning widely. "But, business before pleasure. Me and my replacement need to have a talk."

"Sylar…" Bennet groaned. "Attack him…"

"Don't tell me what to do." Sylar said, even has he held up his hand and sent Joseph flying into a tree with his telekinesis. Joseph laid slumped against the tree, his eyes shut. "Give me a moment…" Sylar freed himself, pulling his body from the wrecked car. "Now, considering you are just hanging there, maybe we can talk about the right and wrong ways to treat your part…"

"WATCH OUT!" Bennet cried.

Snap

Sylar went flying, the sound blast sending him smashing through a tree.

Joseph stood, cracking his neck. "My turn." He said, slamming his hands together.

BOOM


	52. Dying of the Light

_"What line divides the path of good and evil? Is it solid, a wall never to be breached? Or perhaps it is blurred, a smudge that we easily step over? Or...worst still...is there a line at all?"_

-Mohinder Suresh

&

Sylar pulled himself up from the crater in the ground, trying to get his bearings. After Joseph had clapped his hands together, the dark haired man had found himself flying through the air, smashing through tree branches before he crash landed deeper in the California forest.

He groaned, allowing his body a moment to heal, pulling twigs from his chest and arms.

SNAP

Sylar cried out as he was hit again, Joseph darting into the shadows before the former super villain could get a lock on him.

"Enough of this." Sylar muttered, focusing on the forest around him. "You can't hide from me. All the powers I have…when I find you, I will freeze your hands, clamp your mouth shut, and then I will find out exactly what makes you tick." His head twitched violently. "Ooohhh, you are not helping me on my path to redemption…I'm trying to play nice, and you keep tempting me with yoru wonderful power." He took several steps forward. "Now…lets listen in on what lies in your heart, shall we?"

Staring out, Sylar focused on the sounds going on around him, seeking the elusive beat of Joseph's heart.

"Foolish boy."

Joseph's voice wisped across his ears, causing Sylar to spin around, only to find the darkness. "You use super hearing against the master of sound?"

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Sylar screamed in agony, blood pouring from his ears as the super sonic pitch ripped through the forest. It was like a dog whistle times a million, a horrible screech that popped Sylar's eardrums like pimples and brought him to his knees.

Joseph emerged from his hiding spot, smirking as he killed the sound, Sylar's eardrums slowly healing. "That was the sound of my blood pumping through my veins, amplified and pitched up." He turned his head sideways, taking in his vow. "Stupid boy…you think your feeble powers can save you?"

Sylar reached out, using his telekinesis to clamp down on Joseph's throat, cutting off his air. "I have more powers than anyone…and soon, I will have yours." The 50 year old merely stared at him.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Sylar was down again.

Joseph rubbed his bruised throat. "You have powers, that's correct…"

Sylar fired a blast of ice, only for Joseph to rapidly snap his fingers, shattering the frozen projectiles with ease before he was on him again.

"But you don't know how to use them to their full potential." He clapped his hands, Sylar crying out as his ribs shattered. "You have all those abilities…you could be a god…but you wield them like a firehose at a china cup. You lack grace, precision…all you care about it being fast and showy." The older man smirked. "You fight like I imagine you have sex….quick to start, hard in middle, pathetic ending that comes to soon."

"Shut up!" Sylar roared, trying to grab onto Joseph and melt him with Zane's power.

SNAP

Joseph looked down at Sylar's prone form. "But the worst of it, boy…is that you were evil for all the wrong reasons. You wanted power…to be special…that's why you cuased pain? Huh…pathetic worm. You know nothing…you truly are a blind man firing into the crowd."

"And…what about you?" Sylar asked.

The older man stared at him coldly. "Me? I have my reason, boy. It was decade ago. I worked for the Company…I was one of their greatest agents. I even worked with Bennet…18 years I worked for them. I made friends…went on adventures…then I dared…to fall in love. She was beautiful, Sylar…an angel from Heaven. Why she ever loved an old man like me…I couldn't….I couldn't lie to her, Sylar. I couldn't hide who I truly was. So I told her…every word." Joseph turned his back on Sylar, staring out at the night. "And that's when killed her. The Company could not condone their top agent revealing his identity. Only…they couldn't even get that right. I found her, hours later, still dying." He tugged at the furry knap of his bomber's jacket, the white fluff stained a dark brown. "This is her blood…all that remains of her now. I could…I could have survived her lose, Sylar…if it had been only her…if not for lose…of what I found in her womb." He turned, tears in his eyes. "No parent should have bury their child." Eyes closed, he took a long breath, steadying himself. "And so I turned to darkness…because I want this world to know my pain. Every man…every woman…I will kill them all. And I will take their children, every last one of them…and I will slaughter them too. And only when I am the last…will I finally die. That is why I do what I do, boy…this world needs a better class of villain…and you…Mr. Sylar…" Joseph held up his hand. "Just ain't cutting it."

BANG

Joseph roared as the bullet from Bennet's gun tore through his shoulder.

"Sylar, throw him!"

Sylar nodded, using his telekinesis to toss Joseph deep into the forest. Bennet rushed to him, grabbing his arm and pulling him away.

"We have to follow him…" Sylar argued.

"You don't fight Joseph…you run and pray he can't chase after you…now come on!"

&

(Petrelli Mansion)

"Mrs. Petrelli…we weren't expecting you!" The housekeeper said in surprise.

"Of course you weren't. But I am here now, so you can show me and my companions in." The housekeeper nodded, opening the door wide and letting Angela and her guests in. "Now leave us…I have business to attend to." The housekeeper nodded, quickly leaving to go work on other chores. "Have I done well, master?"

Lee nodded, holding out his hand and turning the Angela paper clone back into parchment. "Now, lets fine that book."

Galatea frowned. "Where will we find it?"

Lee rubbed his chin. "Lets see…the sketchbook reveals the potential future of Carter Daniels, my friend, who happens to be the father of the most powerful hero ever born, and he himself happens to be one of the scariest men I've ever met…and Angela Petrelli is an ice cold bitch, from what you've told me…"

"Never met the woman myself…" Galatea said, closing her eyes…

….and letting Jessica take control.

"But I remember her son…he talks in his sleep…and may I say, the things he said…disturbing."

Lee nodded. "TMI, as the teen girls say." He tapped his chin. "So we can assume that she has this big safe…in her office."

"How do you figure?" Jessica asked.

"Because all bad guys have safes."

As the two headed up the stairs, neither noticed the housekeeper watching them from around the corner. Neither noticed as she picked up the phone.

Neither noticed as she placed her called.

&

"Mr. President…" Special Agent Lorenzo Bast called out, hurrying into the Oval Office. "We just got a lead on the man that tried to rob the Philadelphia Mint."

"Suggestions?"

Agent Bast held out a folder. "We take him out…swift and easy. He may have info on Carter Daniels."

"Again with Daniels." The President complained. "He isn't a terrorist…he's the head of an electronics company!"

"That may be…" Agent Bast said, fingering the small golden horn pendent that hung from his neck, "…but he is still a threat to some of us."

&

(The Rocky Mountains)

Carter glared at their driver, rubbing Vally's back gently as she watched the woman carefully. Madrid was rubbing her guns, just itching to blow the woman's brains out. The driver, for her part, didn't seem that scared. She actually was rather professional looking, what with her short black bob, high cheek bones and form fitting black uniform.

"I know you are scared…" She began.

"I'm not." Carter answered coldly. "But you should be."

"You won't hurt me." She said simply.

Carter pointed at Vally. "I can't stop her from doing some mean things." Vally flashed the woman a grin, eyes glowing pink. "So…start talking."

The woman nodded. "My name is Katharine McMillan. I am part of the Alliance…but not the part that is on your side. I work for Marie Delpine…"

Madrid cocked her gun.

"Listen to me!" Kath pleaded. "I work for her…but I don't believe in what she stands for. Marie and the 7 Horns…they are dangerous…extremists."

"Do tell." Carter said calmly. "I know they are interested in ruling the world…"

"Its more than that." Kath looked around. "Listen…they use me to get into places, to gather info. I worked with The Company…know how they nick. You want to know what Noah Bennet fears, I can tell you. The fetishes of Angela Petrelli…"

Carter slapped his hands on Vally's ears.

"…or their master plan…I can tell you. Another group, a year ago…Pinehearst. They want an army, led by them, to set up a grand rule. But Marie…Marie wants something a lot worse."

"You said she was threatening Prof. Frey." Madrid interrupted.

"She sent one of the Horns after her and Marshal in Odessa…"

Carter frowned. "Linda in still in France…"

"Not thanks to your parents, Carter." Kath answered. "She is trying to cripple your support system…she already tried to kill Hank, she will try to kill others. You need to protect them."

"Why?" Carter asked. "Revenge for Merrick?"

"She could care less about Merrick. In Marie's eyes, he failed, and while she is mad at you for killing him, she is mad at him for not surviving."

"Then what…she wants Vally?" Carter asked, hugging his daughter close. "I'm getting sick of that song and dance."

"For once this isn't about Vally." Kath stated. "This is about you."

Carter frowned. "Why me?"

"Marie and the 7 Horns feel…that we…people like us…"

"Need to rule?" Madrid asked.

Kath frowned. "Should be the only ones. As in mass genocide of all people that aren't like us. Marie is setting up to kill everyone on this planet that doesn't meet her expectations…and that means only 1 would get to see another sunrise. She makes Pinehearst and The Company look like UNICEF."

Carter sighed. "And let me guess…she thinks I'm the only one that can stop her?"

"Literally." Kath said.

"And how is that?"

"Because you are the only one that can challenge her."

"How?"

"because you and her…share the same power." Kath answered. "Carter…she manipulates emotions too."

&

"One to the right." Jessica said, slamming her fist through the wall and ripping the safe free. "Two to the left." She threw it down, removing the sketchbook. "And away we go."

Lee grinned. "I have the two best girlfriends."

Jessica glared at him. "Galatea is your girlfriend…I'm just stuck for the ride."

Lee raised an eyebrow as he thumbed through the sketchbook. "Really…because last time I checked, it wasn't Galatea suddenly appearing last night screaming "Harder, harder"."

"Just…getting my part of the bargain."

"Or cuddling afterwards."

Jessica glared at him. "Shut it."

Lee made a kissy face as he resummoned Paper Angela. "Yes honey muffin."

&

(30 miles outside of Odessa)

Marshal grounded, falling to the ground and reverting from the horse form he had taken to human, letting the weakened Terrence fall to the desert sand in a heap. Linda panted, holding out her hand, and with a struggle, managed to call out a mouthful of water from the ground to parch her thirst. She did it twice more for Marshal and Terrence before she too fell to the ground.

"How…much farther?" Linda whimpered.

"Another day…should make it into town the day after tomorrow, early dawn." Terrence looked at the slowly glowing horizon. "Nearly dawn…we need to huddle in the shade…get some rest." Terrence rolled his head, neck bones popping. "Damn Joseph."

"Who is this Joseph?" Linda asked.

Marshal sighed, staring up at the fading stars. "A killer. He…he was the greatest of us…the best agent of the Company. Then…he snapped."

"Why?"

Marshal shrugged. "None of us were told." He admitted.

"I was told." Terrence said. "The Company…they killed his family…they found out about him…and the Company silenced them."

Lind gasped. "God…"

"God has nothing to do with Joseph. If you think the store of Lucifer sounds a lot like Joseph's…that ain't coincidence. If my brother is the Voice of God…Joseph is the Voice of Satan."

Linda shook her head. "His family was killed…"

"And he's killed hundreds of agents…then killed their wives, made orphans of their children…He's butchered them right in front of them." Terrence grimaced. "He's a monster, evil made flesh…the Company only fears 3 people more: Sylar, because we think he could be another Joseph; your student, Carter, because he is only one trauma away from being Joseph…"

"Carter isn't a monster."

"And if they killed Vally or Madrid?" Terrence asked Linda. He closed his eyes, pressing his hand to his still seeping wound. It was slow now, but still hurt like a bitch. "That's why…I've been protecting those two. Carter killed 30 of my men in Alaska when we kidnapped Vally. You saw what he did to Merrick. If he ever lost her…he would be just like Joseph…and we can't have that." He sighed.

"And whose the most feared?" Marshal asked.

"Vally." Terrence admitted. "That little girl has us all running scared. With her powers…if she reached adulthood…" He licked his lips. "My brother, in that final form of us…looked like a god. My niece…she won't just look it…she will be a goddess. And right now, the only two beings that are keeping her from destroying the world in a few years are an actress that can grow limbs and my mentally unstable half brother." Terrence sighed. "So yeah…we're scared." He shook his head. "But lets just pray Joseph doesn't come in contact with any of them."

&

Joseph pulled himself from the ground, popping his shoulder into place with a scream.

"One down…" He muttered.

&

"We have agreed to help you." Rodreck said. "But you need to help us…its just lucky that said help will be at the same time as when we go after your daughter."

Charlie steepled his fingers. "And what help is that?"

Rodreck smiled. "Oh, something right up my old friend's alley." He tossed a file to Renee. "Standard One Last Thing Job." He marched out of the door. "We fly out tomorrow…get packed."

Charlie turned to his wife. "I know that terminology…who do they want you to kill?"

Renee sighed. "Someone whose death is going to net us a lot of trouble." She tossed down the folder, revealing the photo of their target.

Helena Daniels.


	53. Eris Quod Sum

The stewardess grit her teeth as she entered the cockpit. "I swear, if that passenger pitches my butt one more time…"

The pilot laughed. "I thought you were use to guys doing that?"

 "Guys, yes."

^&^&^&^

Kelly glared at Tina. "I can't believe you did that!"

Tina smiled weakly. "It was right in m face…can you blame me? I mean…you have to admit she was hot."

"Of course she was hot!"

Hank rubbed his temples. "Oh, how the mighty have fallen."

Biddy kissed his forehead. "Ignore them."

Tina rolled her eyes. "Lay off, God boy. You men and your strange reactions to women's sexuality. We are too cold, and we're bitches. Too hot, we are whores. A man doesn't like sex, he is considered to be a bit odd but mainly just religious. Too hot and he is a…Kelly, you mind blacking this up?"

"He is a playa." Kelly stated.

"Thank you sweetie." Tina said happily, before turning on Hank. "Have no problem fantasizing about girl on girl action, but then you call it a sin. I swear, it just proves how screwed up you men are mentally. It would take me years with you on a couch to fix your mental defects."

"IF we are quite done…" Hank muttered, leaning back in his seat. "Perhaps we can go over one more time what we are looking for."

Kelly sighed. "One more time, Hank…and I really don't know why this is so hard for you to grasp."

"Just humor me." He stated.

Kelly nodded. "According to Mr. Daniels, about a hundred years ago, he was searching in Egypt for the tomb of this prophet…a priest to one of the ancient Pharaohs. He discovered within the tomb many statues…each of them depicting major events that would come. He also found something called "The Lost Gospel" which makes reference to several prophecies."

Biddy nodded. "The Prophecy of Light."

Tina held up a sheet of paper. "As it was written by Lord William, the man Vic had translate the prophecy: 'And there shall come, from the womb of the fire starter, the heir of Isaiah. And fear will be his ally. Touched once by death's dark kiss, he shall be reborn the silver angel, the Voice of God. Metatron.' That is about Carter. The next verse: 'There shall come, from the land of the sun, the dark flower of Alverez. Chosen by fate. Touched once by death's dark kiss, she shall be reborn the dark angel, the Hand of God. The General.' That refers to Madrid. And the final verse: "And there shall come, from the unite of these two, a hero. An innocent child. Protected by Heaven, she shall be good's avatar, the guardian of man. The Light."

"That's Vally." Biddy commented.

"Right. What we want to know is, if there is anything else to all this. We already know about Vally and Carter and Madrid coming. But according to that sketch…we need to know if there is any other twists heading towards us." Kelly commented. "And thus…we are heading to where it all began."

(Kelly, Hank, Tina and Biddy- Flight 762 to Egypt)

^&^&^&^

Arthur Petrelli sighed. On one hand, he had lost Peter, which was quite a blow, considering all he had planned for him. On the other, he had Gabriel…the lost son, the one that could better understand his vision…

RING

Arthur frowned, pulling out his cellphone, wondering what new distraction this could be.

"Hello Arthur."

The head of Pinehearst froze. "Joseph."

"Don't think about turning off this phone. You know well that I don't like it when I'm ignored. I tend to…get annoyed."

Arthur tried to keep his voice steady. Of all the people in the world, the number of people that could scare him could be counted on one hand. And Joseph…Joseph was one of them. Joseph was unpredictable, a man in contrast: He lived for the moment, his entire life dedicated to one bad moment; but he was also one of the most cunning minds Arthur had ever met, which made it less surprising that he had rose through the ranks of the Company to become one of their prime agents.

If it weren't for the fact that Joseph was only interested in murder…Arthur would have brought him into his group long ago.

"How did you know-"

"That you were alive?" Joseph asked. "When the Company began looking into Pinehearst, I investigated myself…imagine my surprise to hear Murray Parkman say the words, "Arthur Petrelli is alive". Well…not exactly those words…"

"what do you want?" Arthur asked, glad he had killed the fat man.

"Information, Arthur. And it should be clear how desperate I am considering the fact I'm asking you for it."

Arthur worked his jaw slightly, considering just how to approach this. He had to play this game close to the vest, so not to enrage the man, but not reveal enough where it would hurt him and his goals.

"And why should I help you?" Arthur questioned.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Arthur clamped his hands over his ears, crying out as the feedback loop painfully blasted through his skull.

"Next time, I blast your brain so hard I melt your skull." Joseph snarled. "Now then, the correct answer to that question should be, "Yes, Joseph, I will tell you anything you want, and in return you don't put me back in that wonderful bed of mine." Do I make myself clear?"

Arthur stood up. "Crystal."

"I know you keep tabs on all the power players in the world, me included. You must know that I destroyed Primatech."

"Part of it." Arthur said. "I was thinking of sending you a muffin basket."

Joseph laughed. "Oh, that wit…makes me almost wish I wasn't going to kill you later on." He paused. "I have been tracking some people…people the Company believes are a greater threat than me. I've already dealt with one…your wonderful son, Gabriel."

Arthur scoffed. "Considering I have him hanging above me…" he glanced at the knocked out Sylar. "You didn't do a good enough job."

Joseph clicked his tongue. "The point is, Arthur, I am after my next fish…tell me…where is Carter Daniels."

Arthur's eyes widened. "C-carter?"

Joseph began to snicker. "Is that stutter I hear?" He barked out a laugh. "it is! You're afraid of the boy!"

Arthur shook his head. "Not afraid…just not prepared…"

"Well I am. Where is the empath?"

"He's not an empath." Arthur warned Joseph, more to try and justify his nervousness about the boy. "Carter Daniels is…an anomaly. The boy…he calls himself the Voice of God, the Metatron. He blew up the US Mint…destroyed most of Flint…he reduced one of the most dangerous men in the world to a vegetable!"

"Well, I guess you'll owe me another muffin basket when I kill him. Now…where is he?"

^&^&^&^

Terrence sighed with relief when he saw the first buildings in Odessa. "Thank freakin' God." Limping forward a bit quicker, he made his way down the darkened street in search of a pay phone. I need to call my boss, get a Company limo here, get back to hunting down my brother…"

CLICK.

He paused. "I said that last part out loud?" Marshal nodded, holding his gun out. "Wonderful." He turned around, holding up his hands. "Listen…can we just cut all the gun pulling? We both knew I wasn't going to become plays with my brother. I hate him, he kills my men, I plot his death, blah blah blah. So, why don't we just work together to get our rides here, and then we can be on our way."

Linda placed a hand on Marshal's arm. "Don't. The sooner we get rid of him, the better."

Marshal nodded, holstering his weapon. "Fine…but any funny business and I rip him to shreds."

Terrence nodded. "Any on yours and I scramble your brains. The only reason you are still breathing is my gratitude for you yanking me out of that rubble." Spotting a payphone, Carter's half brother walked towards it, glancing at the sky. "Sun better rise soon…way too dark."

"Don't tell me you are scared of bogeymen." Marshal taunted.

"Marshal…" Linda hissed.

"I was just kidding…" Marshal commented.

"No…look at the stars."

Terrence grumbled. "Damn phone is dead." He slammed the headset back onto the hook. "Damn small towns…if you are going to keep your payphones, make sure they work." He glanced over at the two. "What the hell are you two gawking at?"

"The stars." Linda said.

Terrence glanced up. "What stars?"

"Exactly." Linda commented. "No clouds…no haze…last I remember, the desert was suppose to have big, wide star fields…that's what Dolly Parton sings about."

"Dolly Parton never sang about starfields."

"How do you know what Dolly Parton sings?" Linda asked.

"Uh…"

Terrence glanced at the window of a pawnshop, paling slightly. "We need to get off the streets, now."

"Why?" Linda asked.

"Because unless 10 alarm clocks are wrong…" he waved at the window. "Its 4 o'clock in the afternoon."

The 3 turned as they heard the sound of search dogs snarling and snapping in the distance.

"move!" Terrence shouted.

^&^&^&^

"Did you remember my curling iron?"

Lee rubbing his temples. "Yes dear."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"…really sure?" Galatea asked.

(Lee and Galatea-John F. Kennedy Airport)

Lee smiled sweetly. "Trust me, I did." He walked towards the ticket counter, the ELSEWHERE sketchbook firmly encased in his briefcase for the flight back to the mansion in Paris. "Tickets for Malion."

"Of course sir."

Galatea looked around, before narrowing her eyes, Jessica taking control. "Lee…over there." He glanced over, noticing the same suit wearing man she had, the figure looking around but not trying in the slightest to go unnoticed. "Ear piece…law enforcement."

Lee nodded, licking his lips. "Suppose it would be too much to ask that this last part of the trip go smooth?" The agent glanced at them, before touching his earpiece, mumbling something into his sleeve. "Nope." He grabbed Jessica's hand, dragging her towards the door.

"Sir, your ticket!" The airport clerk called out.

"Sorry, forgot her curling iron!" Lee called out.

Galatea took control. "I KNEW IT!"

^&^&^&^

"I don't trust her." Madrid said, standing on the hotel's balcony.

(Carter and Madrid- Oklahoma City)

Dressed in a nightie and a thin silk robe, Madrid let the desert wind dance along her skin, blowing her hair all around her. She could hear Vally giggling at the antics of Bob the Builder, pleased the toddler's earlier tantrum of finding Dora the Explorer on having finally come to an end. Kath, their apparent guide, was in the second bedroom, Carter wanting her at arm's reach, just in case.

"I don't either." Carter whispered, walking up to his wife, pulling her against his bare chest. He let his chin fall against her shoulder, watching out over the city as it slept. "But we can't risk Linda or Marshal."

"How do we even know they are there?" Madrid asked.

"No clue…but if it is a trap, better we spring it now…might give us a chance to turn it against them." He smiled. "Besides, I sense she isn't lying…the chemicals in her brain are screaming, "TRUTH" at me."

Madrid shook her head. "Unless Marie knew you could check her mind and let Kath escape." She shook her head. "How scary is that…the bad guy can do what you do." She shuddered as she thought about that. It was intimidating that her husband could make someone feel whatever he wanted…only Carter's soul kept him from abusing that power. A month and a half ago, after she had gotten a bit drunk and decided to pick a fight with him, she had thrown out the comment that if Carter didn't like her he could always make her different. She had seen many things in her life, but the look of utter betrayal in that moment still shattered her heart.

It had taken 6 days for her to finally get him to finally look at her.

The memory of what all their friends had threatened to do to her if she ever said something like that again echoed in her head. Hank still had not fully forgiven her.

It had been that moment that finally convinced her Carter would never use his powers unless asked or if he needed.

But Marie Delpine?

Carter nodded. "A bit…" His eyes began to glow silver as he focused. "Well…almost everything." He reached down, twisting the metal of the balcony's guardrail like butter. "I keep my mind clear, and I can do a lot more."

Madrid reached out, taking her hand in his. "Don't get overconfident, Metatron…know your limits." She smiled weakly. "Besides, some of us don't have superstrength."

"Mama want superstrength?" Vally asked, zipping over to them with ease. Her little hands glowed pink as she reached out…

"no no no no no!" Madrid cried out, summoning several arms and waving them all at Vally. "No need to be zapping mommy, Glo-worm."

Vally tilted her head in confusion. "Mama doesn't want superstrength? Why?" She pointed at Carter. "Daddy superstrong…fast too!"

Carter raised an eyebrow. "Not really my choice, princess. Needed a boost to take down Merrick."

The little girl considered this. "I'm strong…" She reached out, grabbing the metal rail. Where Carter had to focus to bend it, Vally with ease ripping it away, holding it high. "See?"

Madrid nodded, motioning for Carter to take the rail as she knelt before her daughter. "I know that, sweetie, and I am glad you enjoy it. But…" She paused, considering why exactly she was so against taking that next step. From all appearances, Vally amping someone up had no ill effect. And Madrid couldn't protest too much about the mere idea of Vally using her powers…without them, Madrid would have died. The former actress was already amped up, given her ability to replicate her limbs as a result of Vally. Why not gain more?

Carter was the one to provide the answer.

"Mommy is happy just the way she is. She doesn't need super strength or speed or anything else to be happy. Just like you are happy with your powers, and I'm with mine."

Vally seemed to accept this…

…until she turned to her mother once more. "But…if mommy needed them…like daddy?"

Madrid smiled. "Tell ya what…if we are ever in a situation where I don't think your daddy can save us…I'll gladly let you zap me."

Vally grinned. "okay…can I watch more Bob the Builder?"

"Just a little more, then it's time for bed!" Carter stated, Madrid sending Vally back to the TV. "Seriously?" he asked Madrid.

She shrugged. "She doesn't need t know that you'll always be there to save us."

Carter's smile wasn't as large as his wife's. "Never say never Madrid…"

^&^&^&^

"hurry! Get in!"

Terrence, Linda and Marshal hurried into the house of the teenager that had spotted them, the young man slamming the door up tight. They looked around the dark room, eyes trying to adjust.

"Don't bother flicking the light." The boy warned Marshal. "Doesn't work."

Linda frowned. "What happened here?"

The teen ran his fingers through his hair. "Not sure…2 nights ago, everything was fine. Then, we wake up to find the town covered in darkness. Anyone that tried to leave…it wasn't pretty, what we found of them. So now everyone is hiding, hoping things blow over."

"Contact with other towns?" Linda asked.

"Everything cut off…we're by ourselves." He teen paused. "Who are you?"

"Linda. This is Terrence and Marshal."

"Zach." The teen stated.

^&^&^&^

In another part of Odessa, a swirling pool of light appeared, only to snap shut when four figures stepped through.

The leader of the 4 Hunters looked around the darkened streets. "Only a few days now…we need to be ready."

The teenager shook her head, glancing at her mother. "Why aren't we taking the fight to Gabriella?"

Her mother tone remained firm. "Malcolm got this down to a science. That damn Petrelli boy screwed up time…" In her frustration, she stomped her foot, making the ground shake under her superstrong step. "…now we have to fix it."

Her husband nodded, pulling out a sketch.

It was faded and torn, the parchment warn. But the image was clear: Carter and Madrid, staring at several decapitated bodies, their eyes glowing red.

"We need to make sure this comes to pass." The leader of the Hunters said. "no matter what."

^&^&^&^

Carter looked around, utterly confused at what he was seeing. Hiro Nakamura was closing and opening his eyes, nothing happening. Nathan Petrelli called out that he could fly, only to crash in a heap at his feet. Claire was taking a knife to her wrists, only to scream as her body refused to heal. Sylar was screaming at the top of his lungs that he was special, while crowds passed him, ignoring him.

"The Dark Sun is coming."

Carter whipped around to find himself standing with Vally and Madrid, the two of them looking just as confused as him. Before them stood Eden and Isaac Mendez, each of them looking a bit more impressive considering they were sporting angelic wings.

"God is sending another flood, preparing to wipe out the wicked." Eden turned to Isaac.

"You must be prepared to fulfill your destiny." Isaac told the three.

"And what is that?" Carter felt himself saying.

The two held out their hands. Carter, Madrid and Vally all cried out as angel wings burst from their backs, reaching for each other as their eyes began to glow: Carter's silver, Vally's pink, Madrid's blood red. The three turned as one and stared in horror as a great dragon appeared before them, a twisted creature of flames and darkness, impossible in size. It gazed at them opening its jaws and letting loose a primal roar, the beating of its bat-like wings pushing them back as t gazed at them with dark, cunning eyes that tore their souls to shreds.

"**MY HOUR IS AT HAND!"**

^&^&^&^

Carter sat up with a gasp, Madrid reaching out and clasping his arm as they awoke from the shared dream.

"MAMA! DADA!" Vally screamed, rushing into their room and diving into their bed, crying out in panic. Husband and wife drew her close, the family trembling over the vision.

"What…what was that?" Madrid finally whispered through her tears, her hands still rubbing Carter and Vally's backs to make sure there were no wings.

Carter was shaking like a leaf, trying to calm himself as Vally sobbed. "I…I don't."

^&^&^&^

All season, they have lurched in the shadows, their deeds horrific and heroic.

But next week…Elsewhere looks to the future.

*We see the 4 Hunters watching an older Hiro*

Learn the secrets of the 4 Hunters: what is there mission; what are their powers; what connection do they hold to the heroes and villains of ELSEWHERE; and what future could be so horrible that it would bring them here to stop it?

Episode 54: Hunters

And in two weeks…find out how it all began…

*We see baby Vally, 10 months old, looking up at Daniel Linderman in confusion*

Before they were heroes.

Episode 55: Villains


	54. Hunters

(New York-The Future)

"You sure this is the right place, mom?"

The leader of the Four Hunters nodded as she gazed at the run down building. The years had not been kind to this place, and as a result the once grand building was falling to pieces. The night air was cold, the moon hidden behind clouds, and the streets, for once, quiet. "This is where the tip leads, Blaze. If it's right, we have Company agents in there with an innocent person as hostage."

"Do we have to use those stupid codenames." The younger of the two men with her complained.

"Yes, Paladin, we do."

"Doesn't seem necessary, considering how we're family and all…"

"And if someone is listening?" The older of the two men asked.

Paladin sighed. "Yeah, yeah yeah."

The older of the two men frowned. "Anyone sense anything?"

The leader of the group frowned. "Doesn't matter…Company would block us."

Blaze nodded. "Then I say we kick the door down and say hi…you with me mom? Dad?"

Blaze's parents glanced at each other before nodding. "Lead the way.

^&^&^&^

"You know the history behind this place?" Paladin whispered.

"Quiet." The older male hissed.

"Shove it, Boss-man." Paladin said, his tone cold yet teasing. He leaned closer to Blaze. "A lot of famous heroes used this building as headquarters."

"Did we?" Blaze asked.

Her mother shook her head. "No. We have Morbius."

Blaze nodded. "I can't believe the company is still around."

"One of the few things to survive from the good ol' days." Her father stated. Blaze was about to ask him another question, but he held up his hand. "Shhh…we're here."

The four of them stared at the door, the simple chipped wood belying the dangerous situation.

"Plan?" Paladin asked.

The leader of the group smiled under her mask. "Shock and awe."

Blaze grinned, igniting her hands. "One…"

"Two…" Her father whispered.

"Three…" Paladin added.

"NOW!" The leader cried, the four rushing in…

…to find an old man seated at an old table.

"I was wondering when you would show."

Blaze slowly put her flames out. "I suppose we can't hurt him."

"No, we can't." Her mother said, walking towards the old man. "Hello Malcolm."

The man smiled. "Hello, my dear…so nice to see you…all of you."

Paladin sighed. "Let me guess…you brought us here for some strange, twisted reason?"

"Strange, no." Malcolm stated. "Twisted…in a way, yes."

The 4 hunters were use to dealing with Malcolm. One of the oldest members of The Alliance, Malcolm tended to prefer grnd gestures to simply picking up a phone and talking to people. In fact, they were all a bit embarrassed they hadn't figured out this was his way of getting them to come.

"Should have known…only you would want to hang out in Isaac Mendez' loft." The older of the two men commented.

"A lot of history here, my boy." Malcolm stated, holding out his hands, wizened hands directing them to points of interest. "It was here that Hiro Nakamura first witnessed the potential destruction of New York. Here is were Isaac died, as well as his lady love. And this was the sight of Mohinder Suresh's work…and transformation."

"Wonderful, wonderful." Paladin commented. "Now, we really need to be going, thanks for the history lesion…"

"History is why you are here, child." Malcolm said coldly, his tone serious. "History is broken."

That got their attention.

"How?" Their leader asked.

"Peter Petrelli."

The Four Hunters groaned.

"What did he do now?!?" Blaze complained. Whenever the fabric of reality was in danger, one could either blame Hiro or Peter. "I swear, those two are a menace."

The older male of the hunters nodded. "They don't bother to think for a moment that a paradox is just waiting to happen every time they go mucking up history. At least I study everything with Malcolm before I have to make my jumps to the past."

"Which is why I have called you here." Malcolm said quietly. "Because you four are making a journey to the past…a couple actually."

"And why is that?" The leader of the hunters asked.

Malcolm sighed. "Peter Petrelli…one from our past, went back to the early months of 2008. He shot and killed Nathan Petrelli, only for him to come back to life. That has set off a tale spin of trouble."

"How so?" Paladin asked.

"Santa Cruise was destroyed…nuked."

The four Hunters all paled under their black masks.

"What…what else?"

"Because of him, an army was raised in the future, one set up to control the world and spread the will of the Pinehearst Company."

Blaze's father shook his head. "That makes no sense…Pinehearst was defeated, and the only army created…"

"Was by us." Malcolm stated. "Yes. I have seen the timeshift, my boy…it is coming soon." He paused, black lightning flashing in his eyes. "We need to go, now!"

The Hunters nodded, a time portal opening before them. They just managed to slip in before reality shifted, the world becoming a horrible, destructive place.

^&^&^&^

Blaze looked around the void. It was pitch black, an endless place of timelessness. "I hate this place."

"We all do." Her mother said, wrapping an arm around her. "But it is the only safe place now…we would have been caught in the timeshift if we haven't." She turned to the old man. "Malcolm…you have a plan."

Malcolm nodded. His power was a powerful one, something most people wouldn't suspect when they first heard it. Malcolm could see in what he called "ChaosTime". This meant that when he chose too, Malcolm could see the changes in the world, and how they had come to be, both past, present, and future. By looking around a room, he could figure out how best to punch a man to knock him out. He could pinpoint exactly why a certain man became rich while his brother was poor. And he could tell you how your sneeze would cause a tornado in Kansas 5 weeks later.

It also allowed him to see how time worked, and what was happening…or what had changed it.

"What Petrelli did isn't that major of an event…infact, for our timeline, it is needed."

"But he changed the timeline…"

"And for us, actually made it better. The problem is other actions he took have altered the stream away from our timeline. Had he just shot Nathan and left, all would be ok…instead, his actions have totally changed history for the worse."

"How so?" Paladin asked.

"There are three moments of key importance that must be corrected. We'll start with the first.

"In the original timeline, Merrick Delpine was transferred to Level 5. There would be an attempted break out several weeks later, in which a man, Jesse, would kill him."

The leader of the Hunters nodded. "Right…what happens in the new timeline?"

"Sylar…Sylar arrives."

^&^&^&^

(Altered Timeline)

"come on!" Knox yelled at Jesse, wondering why the man that had kept him sane was bending over Elle, talking to her. "We need to go!" he shouted.

Jesse/Peter nodded, a bit dazed, moving away from Elle and hurrying towards the exit. Turning the corner, he saw Knox and The German working the lift a comatose man from the bed he was strapped to.

"Need help?" He asked.

"Nah man…lets just get this guy out of here!"

"Why are we taking him?" The German complained.

"I heard the lightning bug say this guy was powerful…he could be some use to us." Knox said. "And at worse, we can use him as a decoy."

^&^&^&^

(The Time rift)

"Marie Delpine discovered her husband's escape, and using her power, freed him from the prison made for him. The two of them go on to murder Helena Daniels."

Blaze trembling in fear. "no…" She whispered.

"The Daniels family would react, and out of grief make a foolish attack run…they were slaughtered." Malcolm said sadly.

"What must we do?" Paladin asked.

^&^&^&^

"_A…Alverez." Merrick whispered in horror, his first sane thought in weeks._

"_Didn't you get the memo?" The woman asked, drawing a gun from her belt and pressing it to Merrick's skull. "Its Daniels now."_

She fired 3 shots, reducing Merrick's brains to mush, before she pulled her mask back on. "One down…"

^&^&^&^

Malcolm watched as the 4 Hunters returned to the rift. "That's done." The woman said.

Malcolm nodded. "There is still more work to be done. The next event takes place several days later. Hank and Biddy Delpine were attacked by Quint, the 2nd Horn of the 7 Horns. In our original timeline…"

^&^&^&^

_(Original Timeline)_

"_Yous thinks you can avoid mes like that?" Quint called out, his Jersey accent cutting threw the panicked screams of the French. "Yous thinks that there disappearin' act will hides ya from me?" He laughed, the stone hands he had created raising high in the air. "Try this!"_

_Hank's eyes widened as the two stone hands slammed into the road, crushing pavement and sending a massive wave of that knocked him and his fiancée off their feet. Hank shook his head, forcing himself to remain invisible._

"_I can dos this all day!" Quint called out, fingering the horn pendent around his next while slamming the stone fists once again._

"_Even more wonderful." Hank muttered bitterly._

"_HEY!"_

_Quint turned just in time to get a punch in the face, knocking him out cold. Daphne, the speedster, glared at him. _

"_I'm trying to sleep, you jerk!" She kicked him once in the balls before nodding to Hank and Biddy. "You're welcome!"_

_Hank blinked. "You…don't see that every day." He walked up to Quint, pulling out his phone. "Helena…send a wagon…"_

^&^&^&^

(Time Rift)-

"But thanks to Peter's changes, Daphne was away, dealing with Hiro Nakamura. Quint managed to pin them down…

"What?" The older of the male Hunters asked.

"He murdered Hank in cold blood." Malcolm whispered. "I'm sorry, my boy…"

Blaze's father grit his teeth. "What happened next?"

"The death of Hank drove Biddy mad…she reverted to her Bee Bee persona and went on a murder spree…"

"enough." The leader of the Hunters said. "What do we need to do?"

^&^&^&^

_Quint smiled. "Thanks…but I prefers this more." He clenched his hand, the cage tightening._

"_NO!" Biddy screamed_

_CLANG!_

_Biddy blinked, staring in disbelief as the stone cage crumbled to dust, Hank falling to the ground, unconscious. She rushed to him, gathering him in her arms and staring at their savior._

_The woman was dressed all in black, from her black boots to her black bodysuit, to the black mask that covered her head. Only the green lens that covered her eyes broke the darkness that was her outfit. In her hand she held a wicked blade, one that reminded Biddy at once of Carter's 'godfire' samurai sword. She examined it, before suddenly thrusting it behind her, shattering a stone hand that was trying to sneak up on her._

_The woman turned to Quint, holding up her blade. "1 down…"_

^&^&^&^

"There is one final step." Malcolm said. "It will be the longest of your tasks."

"What is it?" The leader asked.

"Because of Peter drawing his past self into the future, the Peter of 2008 went too soon against Pinehearst…and wasn't there when he was needed most."

^&^&^&^

_(2 Days After Carter's Nightmare)_

_Carter glared at Joseph, his eyes narrowed. "You'll pay for hurting my family!"_

_He rushed him, Joseph just managing to slide out of the way. "You know, normally I would take my time killing you…but lets just go for the big finish!" He laughed as he pulled out a gun, aiming it at Carter. "Goodbye, Metatron."_

BANG

_Carter took a breath, staring down at his chest, then back at Joseph. The older man blinked, reaching down and touching the bullet hole in his shoulder, before falling to the ground, the butt of a pistol taking him out._

"_Hello Carter." Mr. Bennet said, Peter Petrelli and Claire hurrying towards him._

"_Claire…" Carter whispered, rushing to his sister and giving her a hug. "Thank God…" He turned to Bennet. "Thank you…"_

"Thank Peter. He's the one that had the vision of you being attacked. Without him…"

_Carter held out his free hand, clasping it in Peter's. "Thank you."_

_Peter smiled. "Glad to be of help." _

^&^&^&^

"But because of his actions, Peter wasn't there…leaving Carter alone…" Malcolm stated.

^&^&^&^

_(Altered Timeline)_

"_Goodbye Metatron"_

_BANG_

_Carter stared down at the hole in his chest, his eyes growing fuzzy. He licked his lips once, took a short breath…then feel deep to the floor._

"_Carter!" Madrid called out._

"_Two for one!" Joseph cackled with glee, shooting Madrid in the forehead with ease._

"_NO!" Vally screamed, trembling as her body erupted in pink flames. "DADDY! MAMA!" She cried out._

"_What's wrong, little one…gonna cry?" Joseph taunted._

_Vally trembled…her flames turning black._

"_**NO!**__" She boomed, her voice distorting horrible. "__**NOOOOOOOOOOO!**__" _

_The energy from her body exploded, shooting into the night sky and sweeping across the land. All around the world, technology failed, powers were lost, whole cities were destroyed by the outraged cry of the little girl that had lost her father. Men and women of all sizes and races fell to the group, their bodies losing all strength, their hearts failing and brains shutting down. And still Vally screamed, her power erupting forth with her grief. In Japan, Hiro Nakamura, having traveled to the future, stared in horror as Tokyo was leveled. At Pinehearst, Arthur Petrelli sat powerless as his body was torn to pieces. None were safe, friend and family alike, as Vally unleashed her rage. In his lab, Mohinder felt only a moment of joy as his curse was lifted…then agony as he felt true pain. In his room, Knox tore the flesh from his skull as he overloaded from the utter fear bombarding him. Claire Bennet felt pain for the first time in weeks…and wondered why she had longed for it. Even Marie Delpine fell to her knees, blood pouring from her eyes as she died._

_And then, it was quiet._

_The toddler sniffed as she crawled over to her mother and father's fallen forms, her own body shutting down. "Ma…ma…da…dy…" She whimpered as she too died, the last creature on Earth taking her final breath curled around the parents so cruelly stole from her._

^&^&^&^

"No!" The leader of the Hunters screamed, watching the event take place.

Her husband took her in his arms, just as shakened. "What must we do?"

Malcolm smiled as he pulled out a faded sketch of Madrid and Carter surrounded by what appeared to be dead bodies. "See that this comes to pass."


	55. Villains

(Swiss Alps-27 years ago)

"You have done well, all of you."

They were a motley crew. A mixture of men and women that never should have been brought together. Yet, here they were.

Merrick Delpine, the master of air pressure, the cold hearted killer that enjoyed squeezing the life out of his victims.

Quint, the stone sculpture, the Bronx breed man that hid his powerful family connections behind his thick accent and blunt ways.

Rodreck Jones, poison to all near him, a cunning thief that had but one equal in that trade.

Special Agent Lorenzo Bast, lord of the insect kingdom, where ever a bug hid he had eyes there.

Gabriella Vega, the queen of shadows, the youngster of the group, the Brazilian beauty.

Ashleigh Delpine, the one-woman army, the wicked street brawler.

Marie O'Donald, the controller of minds, the unfeeling assassin.

Before them stood their teacher, the man that had brought them together. None knew his real name, or his place of birth. He had emerged from parts unknown 40 years ago, slaughtering all in his path until he had been allowed into the Alliance. He was known only by his nickname, given because of the tattoo he bore, a great blue dragon running along his right cheek, down his shoulder, twisting around his chest, past his hip and ending at his left ankle.

He was Drago. Though age had taken a toll on his body, reducing the once powerful man to a bent, crippled thing, he was still powerful. Fire was his plaything of choice, able to breath it from his mouth much like his namesake. Each of the seven young people before him had faced his fires.

He had made quick work to select the strongest of the teens and children without the society, taking them all as his students, training them and preparing them. Some, like Gabriella, he had brought in with much success. Others...others had been replacements for those he had failed to nab.

But now, these young men and women had passed his final tests, had destroyed all others in their way, and risen to be the best of the best.

"You have done all I have asked of you, and in doing so, become the most powerful team on the planet. Together, not even God will be able to stop you." The old man grinned. "Together, we shall stand against the coming storm, we shall assault the gates, and we shall..."

Drago fell to the ground, clutching his head.

"You know, I've listened to a lot of your shit these last few years." Marie said softly, examining her nails as Drago screamed. "I have heard you prattle on about how powerful you are, how amazing you are, how you are the greatest amoung us and can do whatever you want. But then, I realized that you aren't any of these things. You are nothing more than a sad, pathetic husk of a man, using us to continue your legacy. There is a problem with that though, Drago: You trained me too well." Marie focused, holding out her hand, causing Drago to scream. "Consider this my Senior Thesis."

Drago twitched, blood pouring from his eyes as he screamed, before his body grew still.

"I am your new leader." Marie said calmly, stepping forward. "You don't like it, you can join our old teacher."

The other 6 quickly nodded.

^&^&^&^

(Odessa-8 Years Ago)

It is amazing how the mind works.

In order to sort through the vast array of memories one encounters, their brains work through the mess by assigning different codes or reminders to each one. One might remember color; the red of a birthday cake, the white of a baseball. Or perhaps more by smell; fresh spring grass, or baby powder.

For Joe Dougal, as was most of his life...everything came back to sound.

For the 40 odd years of his life, sound had always been his companion. Memories of his mother and father were of lullabies and cheers at his baseball games. School was a series of cheers and the roar of the crowd as his bat cracked and he won the City Tournement for his team. The girls he had dated, the women he had made love to, their little sighs and murmurs paraded in his brain. The ticking of the clock when he found himself in that cell, awakening after blacking out during a minor league game. The speech...the speech by that man...

Petrelli.

"You are impressive." Arthur Petrelli had told him, his voice barely a whisper but to Joe it was as if he spoke through a megaphone. "Do you know why you blackout? I doubt it. You have an abaility...you are able to amplify sound, or mute it to nothingness. At the ballpark, your powers activated, knocking you out from the cheers of the crowd, as well as putting half the crowd in the hospital. Now...normally we would arrest you, throw you in a cell...but I believe you have potential. I think...yes...I think you can be a great asset to us."

With that speech, his new life began. A world of firing guns, the screams of the deranged, the praise of the weak now saved. He had become a hero, arisen anew and made better.

Then...her.

Her sounds were of laughter, his. Of joy pouring from his heart as this young woman, in the flower of youth, fell for an old man like him. All others fell behind him as he embraced her, an angel sent down to him, blessed beyond all others.

He remembered his speech to her, just a few short days ago, telling her of his power, of the men and women he worked for...asking her to marry him.

He remembered her saying yes.

And now...a new memory was forming.

The sound of her heart weakening.

The gurgle of blood through the bullet hole in her chest.

Her dying words.

"They did...this, Joe."

The Company.

Then silence.

Joe paused as he heard it...the second heartbeat, the weaker one...

His child.

His daughter's death.

"Joe?" His partner whispered, stepping over the threshold. Joe hadn't returned to headquarters for days...he'd been sent to find him, only to witness the man who could control sound with a whim cradling the chilled corpse of his love, his jacket still pressed to her wound.

Joe's head snapped up.

"She called me Joe." He stated, his voice calm as he snapped his fingers, blowing a hole through his partner's chest. "The angels called me Joe." He stood up, marching outside to find company agents all around his home. "I don't work for angels..." He muttered.

He held up his hands.

"Tell the Devil he can call me Joseph."

SNAP

Their screams would last a long time in his mind.

^&^&^&^

(Las Angeles- 4 Years Ago)

Vally giggled as she darted away from Madrid, her sister chasing after the 10 month old as she weaved her way around the doctor's office.

"Hey!" Madrid shouted, annoyed. "Hey!" Vally turned, peering from behind the medical table, flashing a happy grin before she zoomed towards the door. Madrid darted forward, scooping up the baby right before the door swung open, the doctor entering.

"Well...someone is happy." He commented, smiling down at Vally. The baby was clad only in a white Huggies diaper, her hair held in place by a pink headband. The little girl giggled happily, clapping her hands.

Her sister, dressed in a red blouse and black leather pants, was not happy, nor did she appear at all like she belonged, or wanted to be, at a pediatrician.

"Oh, she's a laugh riot." Madrid snarled.

The doctor nodded. "Of course, of course." He looked over his notes. "Now, I apologize for Dr. Harper not being in, but rest assure, I am perfectly able to conduct the examination on your daughter."

Madrid's eyes widened. "Uh...no no no no no!" She exclaimed, shaking her head rapidly. "no no no!" She backed slowly away, holding Vally out as if she were a bag of manure. "I'm only her sister, and not by choice!"

Valencia began to whimper.

"Hey, knock that off!" Madrid commanded, setting Valyl down on the doctor's table. The baby looked up at her, face puckered up as tears formed. "I said knock it off! Mom and Dad asked me to take you to your stupid appointment, which means I had to call off my spa day with the girls, I do not want to hear a peep out of you, understand?"

Vally burst into tears.

The doctor raised an eyebrow. "You aren't that good with children, are you?" He walked over, scooping Vally up and rocking her back and forth. The baby murmured, sniffing softly as her tears subsided.

"Hey, I have no problem with kids...I just don't like lugging them around." Madrid glared at Vally. "And the amount of work I have to do for that woman..."

"No sisterly love?"

Madrid shrugged. She could care less what this doctor thought. "Mom and dad wanted another kid. That's fine. Doesn't mean I have to like her sobbing at all hours and getting into my things."

The doctor watched as Vally reached out for Madrid, wanting to be held, only for her sister to ignore her and turn away. "She seems to like you."

"She also enjoys pooping in her own pants, we see how smart she is." Madrid's phone chimed. "Listen, I need to take this, you mind?"

The doctor waved his hand. "Go."

Madrid nodded, hurrying out of the office.

Once she was gone, the doctor turned toward back to the toddler. "If only she knew, Vally." Daniel Linderman said with a small smile. "If only she knew the power you held." He set the baby back on the table, producing a small rattle from his pocket. Vally happily took it, though she did continue to cast glances at the door. "A pity you are stuck with her as a mother, my dear. But, then again, I did not select her for her maternal instincts." He grabbed a file, glancing over it before he pulled out a stethoscope. "Though, I suspect that if she pulled her head from her own ass, she might do a half way decent job."

Vally squealed when the cold metal was pressed to her chest, smacking Linderman with the rattle.

The Company Founder laughed. "I suppose I deserve that." He warmed it up a bit, before returning once more to checking her heartbeat. "How ironic..." He stated, making note of the strong heart rate, "your mother is suppose to be the one that will grant you control of your abilities, but it is your father that I suspect would be the better parent." He pulled out another file, holding it out for the baby to see. Inside, Carter Daniels' senior picture stared back at the child. "See your daddy right here? His powers haven't shown yet, but when they do, he is going to be a very powerful man. Perhaps he would be of use to me...whatever his abilities are. He has already provided me with a grand weapon." He poked Vally's nose. "You."

The baby looked at Linderman, confused by his actions.

"I must admit, a part of me wants to take you right now. Your adopted parents are always away...and your birthmother, even if she doesn't know of your connection to her, cares more for herself than you." He sighed. "But, sadly, I have to wait. Need to see what your power is, need to plan for everything...but rest assured, I'll be coming for you soon enough. An accident to take care of your adopted parents, push your sister's buttons a little...and you will be all mine." He smiled, stroking her hair. "Afterall, who else is better suited to care for you than your creator?"

"Da-da!"

Linderman's eyes widened.

"Da-da!" Vally squealed again, grabbing ahold of Carter's phone, waving it happily in her hand. "Da-da, da-da, da-da!"

"Hey, we need to cut this short!" Madrid said, bursting into the room. "I was able to schedule a new spa appointment, and they agreed to give the squirt a free baby-spa day or something like that." She snatched Vally up, plucking the photo from her hands, the toddler begining to grunt in frustration, trying to grab the photo from her sister. "Huh, cute guy." She muttered, handing Carter Daniels' photo back to the stunned Linderman, brushing past him and out into the waiting room.

Linderman himself shook himself from his spot, hurrying out of the examination room. Never did any of them notice the man in the black hoodie enter the room, snatching the file Linderman had left behind.

"So...this is father of the Avatar..." The young, tall, dark skinned man said, his hoodie sliding down to reveal a blue dragon tattoo upon his right cheek. "I'll be watching you with great interest..." Drago said.

^&^&^&^

Author's Note: no, I did not screw up describing Drago. That was on purpose.


	56. It's Coming

(Odessa, Texas)

"That's the place." Zack said, nodding towards a warehouse. It wasn't your standard warehouse that one saw in movies, all boarded up and abandoned. It looked rather pristine and modern, to the point that one would expect men in hard hats to emerge from it at any moment.

If it weren't for the fact that it was pitch dark, even though it was 9 am, it would have been a charming place.

"What's makes you think so?" Linda asked.

Zack frowned. "After the first dawnless day, my dad said he saw some government agents fighting against what looked like other government agents. Couldn't figure out what it was, but he wasn't going to stick around."

Marshal sniffed the air. "Terrence, I smell Elite Guard."

The nerve-manipulator smirked, feeling a bit better now that he had some pain killers in him. He had refused to shut down his own nerves, in fear that he wouldn't know if something worse was happening to him. "Good…now maybe we can make this a fair fight." He glanced over at Zack and Linda. "Follow our lead. Marshal, Alpha protocol."

"I don't take orders from you." Marshal commented, before considering this. "In fact, I never took orders from you." Still, he lifted Terrence onto his back, the two of them keeping to the shadows, their eyes scanning for any dangers.

Linda took a step forward, only to find her foot caught by a glob of green slime. "What the…"

"Don't move." Terrence warned, holding out his hand. "Courtney…" He called out, his tone filled with wry humor, "You missed her head."

The Aussie woman emerged from the shadows, a grin flashing brightly. "What can I say, Terrence, I like to aim low." She looked over at the others. "Marshal, good to see you again…and Prof. Linda Frey. Last I heard, you were a wanted woman."

Linda rolled her eyes. "I just taught Carter his communication skills, not my fault if he uses them the way he does."

Courtney nodded. "The rest of us are inside…come on."

^&^&^&^

"I hate New York, I hate New York, I hate New York." Lee repeated over and over as Jessica dragged him through the back alleys that made up The Big Apples more seedier sections.

"Is this another Yankee thing?"

"No, though that doesn't help." The Boston bred artist commented as Jessica yanked him into a doorway. "I'm a little sick of all the cameras and police officers…I could do without them, thank you very much."

Jessica looked around, making sure the police weren't anywhere about. The two of them had been on the run for most of the night, managing to only get some shut eye by hiding with some homeless men in their squatter village. It was getting tiring, but Jessica knew they were close to their destination.

"We just have to get into this building and we are good." Jessica commented, turning to the locked door. With a twist of her hand the doorknob was yanked free, allowing her to slip into the back.

Lee blinked trying to see through the dark light, nearly tripping into some boxes. "Where are we?"

"A clothing store of some kind…" Jessica commented, ripping a box open. "That agent knows what we look like…we need to change our appearance."

Lee groaned. "Please, don't be an Old Navy…don't be an Old Navy…" Pulling out a black t-shirt, the artist grinned. "Spencers…thank you baby Jesus."

^&^&^&^

(The Daniels' Château- France)

Ashleigh Delpine sat in the middle of her room, her breathing steady as she meditated. Everything had been going so well, she had found herself getting to know her son, his friends (though strange as they might be, considering 3 of them he had tried to kill…and apparently succeeded once), and his 'girlfriend'…though Ashleigh didn't know what to make of a woman that seemed to flip between utter distain for her boy and admiration.

She'd grown closest to Vic and Helena, the two of them, like her, finding themselves the only Baby Boomers in a room filled with Gen X and Y kids. It was with their help she had worked to redeem herself for her sins back when she had been trapped in the other her…the Dark Ashleigh as she had labeled her.

But recently, fears had been growing inside of her. The worry that a piece of that evil woman still resided in her…could take control…could hurt her baby boy…the thought that she could lose control, that she herself might become once more that evil creature….

Thus, her self-imposed exile.

She had told Lee that she needed time to focus, to regain her strength…and she was doing that. But it had nothing to do with anything physical. It was all in her head, in her soul.

She would drive the demons out, no matter what…she just needed time. Time to recall her earlier training, before she had split off that first time and discovered the prophecy of the Son and the Lion, the one that spoke of the fall of the House of Delpine and the rise of her boy and Hank. She knew she could manage, that she could regain control of her powers and her emotions…she just needed time and space and peace…

BROO BROO BROO!

Ashleigh blinked as all the lights in her room went red, alarms blaring and making her ears ache. She clutched her head as she stumbled out into the hall, finding Helena and Vic hurrying out of their rooms.

"What…what is going on?" Ashleigh asked.

Vic licked his lips. "Remember how you said you needed time to remaster your powers?"

"Yeah?"

"Hope you had enough." He touched a button embedded on a picture frame, the image of the classical Grecian scene transforming into a video monitor. Outside the gate, several Alliance agents were on the ground, clutching their throats as a poisoned miasma cloud hung over them. In the center of the storm, safe in the eye, stood a British man of Indian decent, flanked by several of Marie's lower guards.

Ashleigh gulped. "Rodreck…the 7 horns…"

"Yeah…their here." Helena whispered. "And right now…you are the only one that can hold them off."

"I…I don't know if I'm ready…" Ashleigh whispered.

"Than get ready…because I get the feeling this isn't their only target…" Vic threw his cellphone to the ground. "They're jamming our signals…this isn't a raid…its an invasion…and unless we can stop them, we won't be able to warn your son, or our son, that they are in danger." He marched over to a hidden door and pulled it open, yanking out some guns. "its time to hold down the fort."

Ashleigh bit her lower lip. "I can't…"

"You need to…or we're all dead." Helena said sternly. "You want to make up for your sins…you want to prove to Lee you can be the mother he needs? Then you need to begin here, by showing that you can fight and will battle anyone that threatens his home…his family." Helena threw Ashleigh a shotgun. "Its time to choose a side."

"Come on out, kids!" Rodreck bellowed, his voice tiny on the small speaker imbedded in the monitor. "Come out and play!"

Ashleigh closed her eyes, several drones pulled themselves free. "Arm yourselves." She said, her voice not as strong as she would have hoped. "Its time…to say hello to some old f-friends."

^&^&^&^

Rodreck grinned as he looked over one of the guards, watching him twitch. "I'll deal with Ashleigh…she just needs some tough love to get her back on our side." Renee nodded from where she hide out of the line of sight of the cameras. "You take out Mr. and Mrs. Daniels."

Charlie Raegan frowned as his wife pulled him with her up the face of the building. "He's lying…you know that…"

"I know…time to find out why."

^&^&^&^

"Thanks Yin." Terrence muttered, grunting slightly as the man reset his broken legs.

"You shouldn't have put any weight on them…do so again and you'll probably lose both of them."

"I'll manage." Terrence stated, turning the Solomon. "Report."

The average sized black man nodded, turning to a wall where he had drawn out a map of Odessa. "They came the day after Joseph destroyed half of Primatech. Horde of them, real organized, each on of them has a power. All offensive from what I've seen, but there could be some defensive or more tactical members in their stronghold. They grabbed the high school, made it their base of operations, have taken half the town. We didn't even know anything was going on until the sun never rose."

"It did." Linda said. "I think someone is blocking it."

"And if I had to wager, it would be this woman." Courtney pulled out a photo she'd managed to snap during a patrol. The image showed a Brazilian woman entering the building, dressed in an elegant black dress, her dark hair curling at the tips, dripping in diamonds. "They call her Gabriella, is in charge of all them foot soldiers. Dances around like queen bee, that's for sure, but I get the feeling she's the one with power."

Marshal nodded. "Around her neck." He pointed to the only item that wasn't decked in gems. "A golden horn."

"Same as Merrick and Ashleigh. She's one of the Seven Horns."

Yin frowned. "Seven Horns?"

"The Alliance's version of the Elite Guard." Marshal commented.

"What's the Alliance?" Zack asked, the teen feeling a bit out of place in all this.

"A group of people with special abilities, brought together to help each other out. The group splintered recently: Half sided with our friend Carter, who wants to protect those with powers from people that would exploit us; the others went with Marie, who wants to set up a super powered regime."

"So she's Magneto to Carter's Xavier?" Zack asked.

Terrence laughed. "Daniels is more like Cyclops, all by scout but willing to fight atleast." He grew serious, however, as he considered their situation. "How many men does this Gabriella have?"

"Atleast 10…small group, I know, but they are well trained." Solomon sighed. "Took out most of the people that survived Joseph's act."

"We are the only ones left, save for a few normals." Courtney commented. "And whatever they are doing in the high school, they've managed to jam any signals to call for the Company…they might not even realize we are still alive."

"Horrible odds, a dangerous threat…" Terrence considered this. "Don't suppose my brother is nearby?"

"Not that I know of." Linda commented.

Terrence nodded. "Too bad, could have used him. Yin, get Marshal and Linda some gear; we move out in 2 hours."

^&^&^&^

"Why the flames?"

Carter looked over at Kath as he yanked his tie off, shoving it into the trunk of the limo along with his dress shirt and suit jacket. She had her back to him, as Madrid refused to allow the woman near Vally, and making it clear that if Kath even sneaked a peek at Carter, the Spanish beauty would pluck every hair from the double agent's head then make a noose out of them.

Carter grabbed a tight gray t-shirt, sliding over his head before he began tying up the combat boots he'd brought. "What do you mean?"

"When you use your power, those silver flames appear. Marie doesn't have any…why do you?"

Slipping on his black duster, Carter shrugged. "A family thing, really. My birth mother is a firestarter, so is my Uncle Flint. Guess it just passed onto me. Never really questioned it…does well for scaring people." Carter hauled out his katana and slid it into the sheath he'd had built into his duster. "Find it strange you think that is strange, all things considered. I mean, you have to eat people to gain their memories."

Kath huffed. "I need to ingest their DNA…a single flake of skin works just fine."

"Still disgusts me…no offense."

"Play nice, Carter." Madrid said, emerging from the limo, her business suit tucked under her arm. The former actress was dressed in a red laced midriff, black pants whose sides were little more than leather straps, her own pair of combat boots and, of course, a replica she'd made of Carter's duster. Though, Madrid had modified hers to better suit her powers. The material from her sleeves down had been cut to form long stripes, allowing her to easily summon arms or legs at will. Sown into her outfit were different guns and knifes and other tools, each just touching her skin so that she could quickly create replicas in her hands.

"Yeah, daddy, be good!" Vally scolded, wagging her finger at him. She, unlike her parents, was dressed rather simply in a pink t-shirt and blue jeans, little white sneakers poking out from under her cuffs. The only modification to her look was the conversion of the 'special bear'; Madrid had sown straps onto his back, making him into a little backpack so Vally could keep her arms free.

"Sure thing, sweetie." Carter looked up at the darkened sky. "What are we dealing with?" He asked Kath.

"Gabriella, one of the 7 Horns. She can control darkness, sending it out in all directions. The more light her darkness absorbs, the stronger she gets."

"Weaknesses?" Madrid asked.

"It's the shadows she sends out that absorb the light, which return to her and give her the energy. But she herself, she's weak against light. Its all in the shadows." Kath smirked. "That's why I questioned you about the flames. They aren't traditional fire, but they are energy…and if you can avoid having them sucked into the shadows, you can use them to weaken her."

Carter nodded. "Got it." He looked out towards Odessa. "We better get going, it's a long walk into town."

Kath glanced at the limo. "Why not drive?"

"Because you are taking that to Dallas."

"No…I'm not."

Carter shook his head. "Yes, you are. You won't be staying there for long. If Marie knows that my father sent Linda and Marshal on a mission…something even I didn't know…" He grit his teeth at the thought that yet again his parents were hiding things from him, "…then she knows that I sent Lee and Galatea to New York. The rest of my friends are safe at Morbius, but Lee and Galatea could be in danger. You need to warn them."

"Why me?"

Carter's eyes glowed silver. "I can read mind, Kath. You are being honest me…but we do not know if Marie let you go. As such, she won't be expecting me to send you to protect my friends. I need one ace in my sleeve…and right now, you're it."

Kath nodded. "Is there…anything I should tell them?"

The head of Morbius, INC nodded. "Tell them…the last cursed ones is where I'll be. Lee will understand."

^&^&^&^

Marshal grunted, shifting Terrence. The morpher was currently in the hybrid form of half human, half bear, giving him the strength needed to easily carry Terrence towards the high school. Of course, that didn't mean it was comfortable.

Linda chuckled.

"What?" Marshal asked.

"If Tina were here, you know she'd be called you Chewie, right?"

Marshal rolled his eyes, even as Terrence glared at them.

"Quiet."

"Sure thing, Goldenrod." Linda quipped. She was dressed in black fatigues, bulletproof pads built into strategic spots, her hair done up in a bun. Zack was dressed similar, it taking him 20 minutes of convincing before they let him come. He had reminded them that he had gone to that high school, thus knew it well and would be able to help them find Gabriella.

"There it is." Yin whispered, pointing towards the school. "You do realize the odds are against us. We have 7 human agents, 3 Elite Guards…"

"You're crippled and I'm stuck carrying you." Marshal added.

"We have Claire Bennet's pet." Solomon muttered.

"Hey!" Zack complained.

"We're dressed in black leather and last time I checked, we weren't the X-Men." Linda finished.

"Yup, we are screwed." Terrence stated. "Lets rock and roll."

^&^&^&^

"Now this is what I am talking about!" Lee laughed, running his fingers through his freshly dyed hair, the dark lockers now featured orange tips. He was decked out in a sleeveless black turtleneck and baggy black jeans, a large black bag slug around him hold all sorts of pens, pencils and paper tablets.

Jessica wore a leather halter top that showed off all her assets, black hot pants, and dominatrix-style boots, her hair streaked with black dye and face done up in heavy makeup.

"Keep your voice down." Jessica hissed. "We need to try and get out of the city." She carefully made her way out onto the street, the ELSEWHERE sketchbook in hand.

Neither of them noticed the spider watching them from the doorway.

^&^&^&^

Special Agent Lorenzo Bast opened his eyes. "They just left Spencers, they are dressed as Goths."

One of his agents frowned. "How do you know, sir?"

"A little spider told me." Bast remarked.

^&^&^&^

"I really don't like this." Madrid whispered as they entered the outskirts of Odessa, looking quickly about the seemingly abandoned suburb. "Too quiet."

Carter nodded, eyes shining silver. "I sense something…there are few people here…most scared, but I am getting the feeling that a few know why they are here…we're being watched."

"Wonderful." Madrid muttered, holding Vally's hand a bit tighter.

"But what really bothers…is the person who is only radiating hate." Carter turned to his daughter. "Vally, do you sense anything?"

Vally focused, eyes shining pink. "Strong…" She pointed at one building. "Strong…" She pointed at another. "Weak…strong…" She froze, shivering slightly. "Bad." She whispered, slowly turning around.

"Hello there." Joseph said, walking towards the family. Carter held up his hands, igniting them, Madrid copied two guns, while Vally's skin began to glow pink. "Now now…no need to be rude."

CLAP

The family flew backwards, Carter smashing into a car, Vally flung into a bush and Madrid skidding across the road.

"I just wanted to talk." Joseph said, holding his arms out wide.

SNAP SNAP

One sonic blast struck Carter, the car he had been thrown crunching violently as it smashed into a house. The other blast when for the bush Vally. Madrid groaned, struggling to get up.

"You see, I heard your husband spreads the word of God. I spread the word too. But my word is pain…and you'll learn to love it. But first…" Joseph grabbed Madrid by he hair, forcing her to her feet. "How about a kiss?"

He smashed his lips to hers, readying his tongue for another snap.

^&^&^&^

The Time Has Come

(We see the Eclipse happening)

The Rage Of The 7 Horns Has Been Unleashed

(Rodreck unleashes his poison against all those around him)

Darkness Covers The Earth

(We see Gabriella standing the High School, sucking light from all sources)

Good Battles Evil

(We see Lee and Galatea stumbling away from Lorenzo)

The Voice Of God

(We see Carter staring at his hand)

**Wars With The Herald of Evil**

(Joseph Smirks)

And Two Will Pay The Final Price

(We see flashes of Tina, Marshal, Helena, Vic, Galatea, Renee, Charlie, Kath, and Biddy)

But When Most Lose Their Powers

((We see Carter gripping his head, Madrid and Vally crying out, Hank falling to his knees, and Kelly seizuring)

A Few Will Claim It All

(We see Carter, Madrid and Vally's heads snap up, their eyes blood red.)

**ELSEWHERE**

**  
The Eclipse**

**Part One- November 24****th**

Part Two- December 2nd

^&^&^&^


	57. The Eclipse Part One

"How about a kiss?" Joseph asked, grabbing Madrid and forcing her mouth open, preparing a sonic blast…

"NO!"

Joseph didn't have to react before he found himself flung from Madrid, skidding to a stop several feet away. He glared at Vally, the toddler glowering at him as her skin glowed pink.

"Does the baby think she's going to stop me?" He asked as he slowly stood up, Madrid moving to protect Vally. "I've faced down the most hardened agents the Company has. I beat Sylar to an inch of his life. I just took out the oh so mighty Metatron with a single blow. Do you really think you can stop me?"

"_No."_ Vally said honestly, voice distorted, pointing at something behind Joseph. _"Daddy."_

"Huh?" Joseph exclaimed, right before Carter's glowing white hand gripped his shoulder, spinning him around to come face to face with the enraged features of the Voice of God.

"**Hi."** Carter stated, before punching Joseph in the gut, the sound of ribs cracking bringing him joy as Joseph slammed into a house. The Metatron nodded at Madrid and Vally. **"Come on…let's deal with chatty cathy."**

SNAP

Metatron went flying, just managing to catch him. The white energy poured out of the shallow cuts that lined his flesh, his teeth grit in frustration as Joseph emerged from the house.

"Yes…lets deal, shall we?'

^&^&^&^

(New York Waterfront)

"Lee!" A woman called out, glad to have finally found the two she was looking for.

Lee and Jessica paused as Kath ran up to them, out of breath. The two were ready to attack, but the woman held up her hand.

"Wait…wait…Carter sent me."

Jessica raised an eyebrow. "And we are suppose to believe you?"

"Prove it." Lee demanded, holding the ELSEWHERE sketchbook closer.

"Valencia hates Dora the Explorer." Kath stated.

"Everyone knows that."

"She roots for Swiper."

Lee shrugged. "Ok, you know Vally…what is it you want…"

"Carter sent me to warn you…the 7 Horns have begun their strike. They already sent someone after Linda and Marshal…they could be after you too."

Jessica frowned. "How do you know that?"

Kath smiled weakly. "My power. I can take in the memories of others. I managed to get a peak at Marie's goals, found out what she planned and rushed over to help. I was never one for mass genocide."

Jessica rolled her eyes. "Wonderful, another former enemy…Carter has a habit of picking up strays."

The other woman shrugged. "Get use to it…your stuck with me."

BANG

Kath's eyes widened, touching her chest as blood slowly leaked out. Lee and Jessica leapt on her as Agent Bast and his men opened fire.

"And down goes the traitor." Bast muttered.

Lee ripped off a piece of his shirt, pressing it to her wound. "Come on…we have to stop the bleeding…"

Kath shook her head. "Carter's…in the last place where the curse is."

"What?" Lee asked.

"Go!" Kath called out.

"We need to get going now!" Jessica shouted. Lee stared at the dying woman. "We can't save her…don't let her die in vain! Now come on!"

Lee nodded dumbly before he rushed forward.

Kath looked up weakly as Agent Bast and the other government agents moved towards her. "You'll…you'll never win…the 7 horns…"

BANG

Agent Bast lowered his weapon. "Come on…we'll come back for the body later."

^&^&^&^

(The Valley of the Kings-Egypt)

"Stop that." Kelly hissed at Tina, her lover smirking slightly as she continued to hum the theme from Indiana Jones. "This place is already giving me the willies."

Hank nodded. "Certainly has a Well of Souls feeling, doesn't it?"

The three of them found themselves in the same tomb Vic had found all those years ago, the one that he had gotten the statues of themselves from, the ones that predicted Carter's taking control of The Alliance. It was a dry, dark place, where there was no sound other than what the four brought with them. Their flashlights bounced about the stone walls, casting dark shadows and making each wonder when a mummy would come burst out to suck the flesh from their bones.

Biddy had been the first to chicken out, taking four steps in before stating she would watch the exit, leaving the others to walk through the tomb on their own.

"So, what are we looking for?" Tina asked, pausing from her humming.

"Vic believes that there might be several more antechambers he missed. He was so excited about finding those stuates he never bothered to look around. We need to see if we can find them." Kelly said. She closed her eyes, before snapping them open, her irises gone. "5 chambers to the right." She stated, her voice sounding colder. "3 to the left. Objects with in the ones to the left in the center…statues."

Hank nodded, hefting the pickaxe he had brought. "Lets go."

^&^&^&^

The battle waged on at the high school without pause, and with neither side gaining the upper hand.

Solomon had been killed twice now, reduced to a skinny little thing that resembled Steve Urkel if you squinted real hard. Yin had managed to freeze a few of Gabriella's men, while Courtney was doing her best to dodge bullets and glob up anyone that came near. Marshal snarled, tearing through the men and women with his claws, several bullets already dug deep into his furry flesh.

Terrence and Linda pressed on, seeking cover where they could and working together to drive off anyone that got close.

"You know…" Linda muttered, sending a blast of water at one of the guards. "a plan would have been wonderful to have."

"Bitch bitch bitch." Terrence muttered, firing off several blasts from his gun.

"Gentlemen, a moment!" Gabriella called out, stepping from the high school. Gabriella was a looker, that was for sure. Even in her late 40s, she would make most 20 year olds feel fits of inadequacy. Lush black hair that tumbled down in soft curls, a heart shaped face with stunning, captivating eyes, and a body that would many man consider adultery and a good number of women to begin thinking of experimentation.

Terrence leveled his gun at the 4th Horn. "And why, exactly, should I do that?"

Gabriella grinned, pulling out a small flat disk roughly the size of her palm. "Because of this."

"And what is that?" Marshal called out. He, along with Yin, were separated from the group, closer to the main building then the rest.

Gabriella shrugged. "A deadman's switch to the C4 I planted around the high school."

The Company agents froze when they heard that. Zach frowned. "Wait…what's a dead man's switch?"

"A trigger that, once activated, must remained pressed or deactivated by its holder or it sets off a bomb." Terrence said slowly, lowering his weapons. "Which means we can't shoot her without killing ourselves."

"Exactly!" Gabriella said happily, letting go of the trigger. Everyone froze, tensing for the explosion that never happened. "Gotcha!" She laughed, only to throw up her arms when guns were once more trained on her. "About the drop…the deadman's switch is still on." She picked up the trigger. "A solar powered deadman's switch. I produce darkness, gentlemen, and I absorb light, including all the specks that are trying to hit this trigger. If I die, or if my powers are block, even a touch of starlight will set this sucker off." She grinned. "Now…can we talk terms of surrender?"

^&^&^&^

SNAPSNAPSNAPSNAPSNAPSNAPSNAP

The Metatron grit his teeth, slamming his hands into the pavement and pulling himself another foot.

Joseph was going crazy with his sonic attacks, trying to send Carter flying. But the Voice of God was holding in, slowly dragging himself towards his opponent. Madrid was off to one side, trying to get a clear shot at Joseph and not having much luck. And Vally had already tried to remove his power, only to find that Joseph was too strong at this point for her abilities to do little more than slow him down.

Carter dug his fingers in tight, pulling the energy seeping from his body to his eyes, the light that normally glowed from them becoming nearly blinding. He grit his teeth, focusing right on Joseph, before he let off 5 quick blasts from his eyes.

SNAPSNAPSNAPSNAP-SNAP

That pause was all Madrid needed, firing at Joseph and grazing his side. He bellowed, only for Carter to yank himself at his foe, slamming into him and driving both through a house and into another.

Madrid rushed forward, Vally easily keeping up…infact the toddler had to slow her pace down, knowing her mother would get mad if she beat her there. The two skidded to a stop when they entered the house, finding Carter with his hands raised…

…and 20 armed men pointing their weapons at him.

"Joseph?"

"Snuck away." Carter muttered.

"Company?"

"The 7 Horns."

"Course of action?"

"I even let a hint of flame smoke up and they fire."

Madrid slowly raised her hands as the men went about removing her weapons. "Wonderful."

^&^&^&^

"Ok, now I see why you were freaking out." Hank whispered.

They had managed to break into the antechamber Kelly had located, only to find that instead of a large group of statues, like the ones Vic had found, this chamber was filled with different 'scenes'.

It was a long room, the length of a football at least, and not very wide. Cut into the wall were little alcoves, in which different statues served as snapshots of scenes past and future.

They had passed statues of Carter using his powers to bring Hank to his knees back at U of M. There was one of the three of them leaping from the bridge into the Flint River. Another of Carter killing Anthony Delpine.

And still more of events they had not witnessed. Marshal and Linda finding Terrence. Sylar battling Joseph. Lee and Galatea looking over the ELSEWHERE sketchbook. Even on of Kelly, Tina and Hank standing in the tomb.

But what most disturbed them was the statue of Carter and Madrid, standing in the middle of mutilated bodies, the men's heads cut off, their faces frozen in terror. Both Carter and Madrid's statues bore rubies for eyes.

"Tell me about it."

"If you think that is bad…" Tina called out.

Hank and Kelly hurried over to her, passing a statue of a woman that appeared similar to Madrid, pink gems used for her eyes, holding out her hand, Carter on his knees as he silently screamed.

Tina pointed to a alcove that held three statues. One was of herself, cowering behind an enraged Kelly, who was moving to strike and equally mad Hank. More startling was the fact that both Hank and Kelly shared the same ruby eyes that had been used for Carter and Madrid's statues.

"That's not a good sign." Hank admitted drolly.

^&^&^&^

"Move!" Jessica called out, motioning for Lee to follow her. The sounds of the agents footfalls catching up to them. Overhead, the sun was slowly being taken over by the moon.

"We need to move, now!" Jessica screamed, grabbing Lee's arm and using her superstrength to hurl the two of them another dock. The agents were further behind now, but catching up.

Lee shuddered. "What…what was that?"

Galatea frowned. "What was what?"

Lee groaned. "I feel…kinda funny."

His companion was about to complain when she too stopped dead, shivering. "Lee?" She managed to whispered, her skin growing pale as Galatea took over.

Lee moved to his creation, cupping her face as he watched her featured from lighter, duller. "Galatea…Galatea what's wrong?"

Her breathing was shallow as she grabbed his hand. "I…have to go now." She whispered.

"What…what do you mean go?" Lee pleaded. The agents were forgotten as he held onto the woman he had literally created just for him. "Come on, we need to run…you were just saying that…"

"No Lee…" Galatea said softly, smiling weakly. "You need to run…I…I think I'm going home now…to Niki."

"Galatea…I don't understand…"

She held out a hand, Lee shuddered as he watched it begin to lose mass. "Don't bring me back Lee…promise me…"

"What's happening…hold on!" Le pleaded.

"Promise me…" She whispered. "Promise me…you'll not close your heart off…" Her eyes grew cloudly as she lost all color, now merely white with touches of black. "I'll always be watching you…don't cry."

"No…" Lee whispered as the eclipse overhead reached its peak, his powers robbed from him. He could only kneel there, staring in horror as Galatea was reduced to a sketch on cheap computer paper once more. "No…no…" He stammered. "NO!"

^&^&^&^

In France, Rodreck and his men frowned as they suddenly found themselves without power, while Ashleigh could only watch as all her clones turned to dust. Vic stared in horror as he found himself trapped at his current age, while Renee struggled to hold onto the roof as her clinging powers faded to nothing.

^&^&^&^

Gabriella was in the middle of one of demands for the Company's surrender when it hit.

All of them felt it happen at the same time. Marshal found himself human, Terrence grit his teeth, Linda held out a hand only to find no water appeared…

And Gabriella could only stare up at the sky as the darkness she had summoned evaporated into the dark eclipsed sky.

"Uh oh." She managed to whisper, running towards the school just as the first ray of light hit the trigger.

BOOM

^&^&^&^

"AAAAAAAA!!!!!"

Carter gripped his head, falling to his knees and shuddering violently as his whammy flames flashed along his body. His screams grew ragged as the flames turned red, seemingly pulling energy from the air around him and drawing it into his soul.

Madrid and Vally were also screaming, their skin glowing crimson as the same energy Carter seemed to be taking in infected them as well. They cries of pain twisted about with Carter, forming a single primal roar.

Then…it changed.

"Heeheehee."

The agents took a step back as the energy faded, Carter and Madrid began to chuckle. Carter was the first to rise, a look of utter delight on his face as he looked at his hands, laughter growing harder.

"You feel this too, baby?" Carter called out.

Madrid nodded, holding out her hand.

Blue lightning, once Elle's specialty, danced on her fingers. "Oh yeah."

Carter cracked his neck, he gash he had gotten from Joseph healing quickly as he summoned his birth mother's flames in his right hand, pulling water from the air into his left with Linda's stolen ability. His eyes nearly rolled back in his head in pleasure, his body shudderly slightly. "I have them all…we have them all."

Vally remained silent, startled by her parents reaction to what was happening to them. She could feel her own power flood her body, fighting off…something.

Madrid slowly turned to look at a guard. "Who do you think they are?" She asked.

Carter shrugged. "Want to find out?'

^&^&^&^

"Agent Bast!" One of the agents called out, helping their leader to his feet.

"Gone…" he whispered, his eyes wide. "Their all gone…"

"Sir, Lee Malion is getting away!"

"Gone…all gone…what…what did this…" Agent Bast muttered.

"Sir, Lee Malion…"

BANG

The agent fell dead, the others having no time to raise their weapons before Lee shot them down.

"is right here." He snarled, the sketch that had been Galatea clutched in his hand. "You killed her!"

Lorenzo stared at him, confused. "What are you…"

"You did this! You took my powers…you killed the woman I loved!"

The 5th Horn shook his head. "No…my power…"

Lee raised his weapon, his eyes dark. "Run."

"What?"

"I said run!" Lee snarled. "I want to have to pleasure of hunting you like the dog you are." He fired at Agent Bast's feet, the man scrambling away. "I SAID RUN!"

^&^&^&^

Gabriella's agents drew their guns, aiming them at the strange, smiling couple. "Don't move, Daniels. We don't have our abilities…but we can blow a hole through your gun."

"Please do." Madrid said calmly, taking a step forward.

BANG

The bullet struck the woman, stopping her before Biddy's powers activated and bounced the bullet back.

"Foolish boy." Carter snarled, his happy tone gone as his eyes glowed red. His body slowly rose from the ground, Madrid copying him as the two hovered towards the agents. "You think you can harm us?" Carter held out his hand, snapping his fingers.

BOOM

One agent went flying through a window.

"Mama, daddy!" Vally called out. She had been using her powers to examine her parents, and knew now what had happened. The little girl knew she had to act fast…

"Vally, mommy needs to clean up…why don't you go play somewhere safe. We'll pick you up in a bit, baby girl." Madrid held up her hand, Vally barely able to blink before she was gone.

^&^&^&^

Tina groaned as she felt her powers robbed from her, shivering slightly before rising to her feet. However, her concern was more focused on her companions. Kelly and Hank had both fallen to the ground when the power drain occurred, red flames jutting from their bodies as they screamed. Now, other, they were quiet.

"Whoa…" Hank whispered, slowly rising. The ground he was touching turned to cold as he stood, his back to Tina as he stared at his hands. "This…this is amazing…"

"Hank?" Tina whispered, disturbed by his actions.

"Power, Tina. I have power…some many." He held out a hand, a golden spear flying to his palm. "I'm powerful…all-powerful…"

"That's nice…because some of us just lost our abilities…"

Hank tilted his head. "Is that so? I can't…I can't lose my powers…" He shivered. "I can't…" He turned, his eyes blood red, Tina screaming as he raising the spear. "I need to look in you…find out why…"

The young man suddenly found himself flying through the air, colliding with a statue and shattering it. Kelly arose from where she had fallen, her own red eyes narrowed in anger.

"Foolish boy." She snarled. "I should have known never to trust you!" She turned to Tina, grinning as she felt her strength increasing as Tina's fear rose. "Don't be too scared, baby…I'm going to make it better." She slowly marched towards Hank. "I'm going to rip the power right out of him and give it to you." She laughed. "Imagine it…you and I…all-powerful, immortal…"

"I prefer myself as it, thanks…red eyes don't go with my skin."

Kelly scoffed. "Like you have a choice." She turned to Hank, motioning for him to stand. "Time to die."

^&^&^&^

Vally blinked as she found herself in her bedroom, in the little Spanish cottage in Spain. She could hear the maids chatting to themselves, and realized quickly what had happened.

She frowned. She couldn't let her parents end up like this…she had seen what would happen, knew the danger they were in. She had seen before she had been teleported that the two beings that wore her mother and father's skin were not them…they might have been, but something had buried to two people she loved the most, trapping them under those dark, evil creatures that had sent her away. If it weren't for her own powers, she would have been infected just like them…they probably thought she had been…and it would be her own powers that saved them. They had saved her many times, this was the moment where she got to save them.

Preparing to use Hiro's teleporting power, Vally blinked when a hand clasped her shoulder, stopping her from returning to Texas.

The Leader of the 4 Hunters shook her head. "Not yet…they need to see it, if they wished to stop it."

"What?" Vally asked.

"The darkness."

^&^&^&^

"Now that it's just us adults." Carter said calmly, hovering towards the agents. He held up his hand, freezing them in place. "I have a lot of tasks ahead of me. I have to deal with you, then I have to go kill Marie…then I think I'll go and chat with the United Nations…I have some complaints."

Madrid laid a hand on Carter's shoulder. "I feel funny." She shook her head violently, for a moment gaining control of herself. "Something…inside…"

Carter nodded, struggling against his urges. "I feel it too…" He turned to one of the agents, smiling wickedly, his crimson eyes chilling the man to the core. "I understand why Sylar does it…the need…the…"

"Hunger." Madrid supplied, losing the last thread of her control, Carter quickly joining her.

The two grinned at each otter before both pointed a finger at the agent, drawing them together as two deep cuts went from the agent's temples across his skull.

^&^&^&^

To Be Continued…

^&^&^&^

**In an instant…**

(We see Carter smirk, eyes glowing red)

**The brightest stars…**

(Madrid chuckles as she licks some blood away from her hand)

**Have fallen into darkness**

(Hank fires a blast of electricity at Kelly, while she counters with blue flames)

**For with all these powers…**

(Renee and Helena point guns at each other)

**There comes a hunger for destruction**

(Lee coldly fires his gun at Agent Bast, a crowd of people scattering)

**For in the world of Elsewhere…**

(We see Vally step between her mother and some innocent Odessa residents)

**There is no black and white**

(The Four Hunters surround Carter, the young man holding out his hands.)

**Only gray.**

(Carter rises into the sky)

Elsewhere

The Eclipse

Part 2


	58. The Eclipse Part Two

Madrid licked the blood from her hand, a dark smile creeping over her features as she watched Carter approach the last of Gabriella's agents. All around them, the mutilated bodies of the other men lay scattered about. Arms and legs were tossed aside, blood coated the walls and ceiling, and several walls had been dented from the two hurling them men across the building.

Carter easily lifted the man by his throat, holding him up high and glaring at him.

"Where is Marie Delpine?" He questioned, tightening his grip. "Where is she?"

Marie yawned. "Just scan his mind."

Carter chuckled. "Oh, I already did. He knows nothing…I just want him to squirm for a few…more…seconds…" Carter reached up and cracked the man's neck. "There we are."

Madrid slowly walked up to him, running a finger along his arm. "Aren't you just so cute when you are protecting yoru family?"

Carter wrapped an arm around his wife. "Damn straight, baby." Madrid giggled as the two emerged from the shattered house, only to find themselves surrounded by survivors of Gabriella's first assault. "…I'm going to pick up any stragalers…leave no witnesses." Carter let her go, rising in the air before flying off.

Madrid nodded, her hands igniting with blue electiricty. "I knows its cliché…but bow before Madrid, bitches."

^&^&^&^

Tina ducked behind a column, covering her ears as Hank let off a sonic blast. Kelly cursed, throwing up a shield before rushing him, stretching her arms out like rubber bands and wrapping them around his throat.

"Just give in, God boy." She taunted, squeezing hard. "Imagine it, Heaven…your daddy there to regal you with stories of how he killed people…"

Hank struggled, metal spikes ejecting from his skin and digging deep into Kelly. "Yeah, I can hear about how you're going to burn in Hell." He held out his hand, firing 3 black barbs from his knuckles. "Now come here so I can skin you alive."

Tina poked her ehad out. "Can I leave if I'm not fighting?"

"NO!" Both Kelly and Hank roared, diving back into battle.

"Damn."

^&^&^&^

"Now…which one of you should I kill first…" Madrid considering, looking down at the trembling masses. "Oh screw it, one big death for all…"

Before Madrid could act, she found herself staring at Vally, the little girl moving between her and the townsfolk.

"No." Vally said sternly.

Madrid smiled sweetly. "Vally, could you please move so mommy can kill these people?"

"Not mommy." Vally said stubbornly.

"And what do you mean by…" Madrid paused when she felt the sword press into her throat.

"She means you ain't Madrid Alverez." The younger male of the 4 Hunters said calmly. "So, why don't you leave the nice woman's body so the toddler and her mama can have a hug, shall we?"

Madrid chuckled. "Oh, we'll have a hug…but first, I'm going to kill you and everyone in this town, 'kay?"

The Hunter just managed to roll away as Madrid copied a knife into her hand, swinging at him. He quickly turned his sword into purple flames, turning said flames into a gun, firing at Madrid several times. The Spanish actress laughed as the bullets bounced off her harmlessly.

"Is that suppose to stop me?"

"Actually…" The teenaged member of the Hunters called out, walking towards Madrid, "that was to distract you so your little girl could whammy all the mojo out of you." Madrid let out a scream as Vally fired pink flames at her. "There we go."

The toddler forced herself to ignore her mother's cries as she used her powers to bring ripping away all the extra abilities and negative side affects that came with them. Vally paused, however, biting her lip, before she leaving several…extras…behind.

The flames receded, leaving a whimpering Madrid laying in the street, griping her head as the red faded from her eyes. She looked up slowly, tears in her eyes.

"Oh God…" She whispered.

Vally grinned, not caring if Madrid was traumatized. "MOMMY!" She squealed, rushing to her and hugging her tight, peppering he face with kisses. The little girl turned to the teenager, grinning happily. "Mommy's back!"

"That she is." The teen said. She smiled under her mask as she watched mother and daughter reunite. "You good now?"

Madrid shook her head. "What happened…inside…I tried to fight it, but things got…cloudy…"

The man nodded. "All the powers, all the problems. There are some really twisted downsides to these abilities."

BOOM

The two hunters stared up at the sky, taking a step back.

"What was that?" Madrid whispered.

"That…" The teen said, "was your husband breaking the sound barrier. He's going to be here real quick…get ready."

^&^&^&^

"Rodreck…what the hell?" One of his men shouted, holding out his hands. "Our powers…"

Rodreck glared at them. "Our powers are gone. Lets hope theirs are too."

"We have to fall back…figure out…"

Rodreck snatched a gun from a fallen Morbius security guard and fired it several times into his own agent's skull.

"Like I said…we hope they lost theirs too."

^&^&^&^

Tina stared at the stone head of the Hank statue, examining it carefully. "Nice to know that I have a friend here."

BOOM

The stone head shattered.

"Oh." She said sadly.

Kelly and Hank had been going at it for 20 minutes, and pretty much had done nothing to move the odds to either's side. Infact, it seemed more like they were just locked in battle to be locked in battle, forgetting why they had decided to fight in the first place.

The tomb was in shambles, and every shake of its foundation made Tina wonder when exactly it would finally fall on her head.

"They are really going at it, aren't they?"

Tina nodded. "That they-AAAAAAAA!" The woman scrambled back, away from the two dark clothed intruders. Hank and Kelly paused mid battle, wondering what had scared Tina…that didn't involve them.

"Hi there." The Leader of the 4 Hunters said happily, walking towards the power-crazed duo. "Lets chat."

^&^&^&^

Madrid smiled as Carter flew down to her, watching as her husband looked at the fallen forms of the 2 Hunters. "Hi there, sweetheart."

Carter raised an eyebrow. "And what do we have here?"

"Two idiots that tried to trick me. Got Vally to do their dirty work, didn't they sweetie?"

Vally nodded. "Yup!"

Carter nodded. "Right. Madrid, a question."

"Uh…yeah?"

"Did you forget I have superhearing now?" Lightning cracked on his fingers as he fired at the teen, the girl just managing to leap up, her fellow Hunter joining her. "Heartbeats, Madrid, heartbeats."

She quickly threw up her hands. "Now Carter…please listen…you're not thinking clearly…"

"I am thinking just fine. You aren't the one thinking right…the fact you are afraid of me is proof of that." He smiled gently. "I would never hurt either of you." Holding out his hand, Madrid and Vally found themselves trapped in a clear forcefield. "This will protect you while I deal with these fools."

"Carter!" Madrid bellowed, slamming her fists against the bubble. "This isn't you! You have to fight the urges…"

Carter glared at the two hunters. "You brainwashed my family." Fire glowed in his hands.

The male Hunter backed away. "So this is the Crime Syndicate version of the Metatron…not ashamed to admit I just wet myself."

"Ditto." The teen said, leaping out of the way as Carter launched several attacks at them. "Uh, any time Short Round."

Vally nodded, calling upon her flames…only for them to blink out.

"Haitian's powers." Carter said simply. "Combined with my own and a Arthur Petrelli's. You aren't affected by one…but you can't stop all three." He sighed. "I promise I'll unblock you when I cure you, baby girl."

"Not a baby, and you're not daddy!" Vally snapped.

Carter slowly turned towards the Hunters. "You'll pay for this." He rose into the air, eyes glowing bloodred. "Die."

^&^&^&^

"Ow…" Hank and Kelly moaned, rubbing their heads, the red faded from their eyes.

"Now, are you going to play nice now?" The Leader of the Hunters asked.

"Yes." Both of them mumbled.

"Good." The Leader said.

Kelly rubbed her head. "What the hell happened, anyway?"

"The Eclipse." The Leader's husband said. "Every person on the planet with powers lost them as soon as it happened."

"And why exactly did me and Kelly go uber-powerful instead?" Hank asked.

"Vally." The Leader's husband stated. "Vally is different from other super powered beings. When she used her amping abilities to increase your powers, she also altered how your powers work. So, instead of the Eclipse robbing you of powers…"

"They gave them every power." Tina finished.

"Including the negatives, like the hunger that drives Sylar to kill." The Leader stated.

Hank frowned. "Wait…Kelly and I were amped by Vally…but so were Carter and Madrid…"

"Which is why we need to go." The Leader said. She nodded to her husband, the two of them entering a portal and leaving the three alone.

Tina approached her girlfriend, staring down at her in amusement. "You two done being stupid?"

"Yes." Hank and Kelly muttered again.

"Good."

^&^&^&^

"Vic…what is it?" Helena asked, holding her husband steady.

"Damn it…" He muttered, swaying again. "Powers….gone."

"What?" Helena asked.

"Our powers are gone." Ashleigh said with a sigh. "No clue how…"

"Aging…again…forgot how much…it hurt."

Helena raised an eyebrow. "Aging hurts?"

"You….get use…to it." Vic grit his teeth. "Cells…dying all the time…all the time…"

"What do we do?" Helena asked.

Ashleigh shrugged. "Don't look at me…at the moment you are the strongest of us, Company Girl."

"Not quite."

The three turned to find themselves staring down the barrel of Renee Raegan's gun.

"You aren't the one with the weapon, are ya?"

^&^&^&^

"You are never going to let us live this down, are you?" Kelly muttered, Tina happily humming as she lead them out of the tomb.

"Nope! I plan to get lots of presents, footrubs, the works." She glanced at Hank. "And…uh…you can get me something too."

"Joy." Hank muttered. He was still feeling worn out from the fight, embarrassed that he had acted as he did, and wanting nothing more than to find Biddy and fall asleep for 20 hours.

Tina scoffed. "Don't be such a baby. Take your medicine like a…"

"Like a what?" Hank asked, coming up to where Tina stood, confused.

"The word she is looking for is man, son."

Hank narrowed his eyes but still joined Kelly and Tina in raising their hands as Marie Delpine and her men pointed their weapons at them. Biddy was being restrained, trying to free herself from one burly man's grasp.

"Now then…allow me to explain exactly how this will work. I'm going to kill the girl, you're going to scream "NOOO!" then I will shoot you in the head. Sound good? I hope so, because it seems like that is the best plan of action…"

Hank grit his teeth. "One problem, mom." Hank went invisible. "Still have my powers."

"FIRE!" Marie shouted, Hank grabbing Kelly and Tina and fading them from sight, the three struggling to avoid being shot. Marie, meanwhile, was marching towards Biddy, grabbing the woman by the hair and pressing the barrel of her gun to her forehead. "Had to do this the hard way, Hank!" Marie shouted, pulling the trigger.

BOOM

Marie screamed as he gun exploded, bits of metal tearing into her hand. She held it close to her body, staring at Biddy in shock. "How…your powers…"

Biddy slowly looked down, just as surprised as Marie by the bounce back. Her jaw dropped when she noticed her stomach was glowing red.

Hank was so startled that he became visible. "My God…"

"Vally's amping…it was passed down to your kid." Tina whispered.

Kelly could only stare. "And now it has every power in the world."

Marie tilted her head. "EVERY power?"

^&^&^&^

"Renee?" Helena questioned, utterly confused. She turned to her husband. "is there anyone our son knows who isn't involved in this craziness?"

"Said the woman that works for the Organization that kidnaps those with abilities?" Ashleigh commented.

"Former woman that works for them." Helena answered, before turning back to Renee and Charlie. "Uh…hi?"

"Where are you holding our daughter?" Renee snarled. "Tell me now…"

Vic frowned. "Holding? What…are you…"

"We know you kidnapped our daughter." Renee said coldly. "Rodreck told us!?"

Ashleigh laughed.

"Rodreck? That lying piece of…" She shook her head. "You listened to a word Rodreck said…you must be really dumb."

Helena glanced at her. "I think I liked it better when you were quiet and brooding. That didn't get us shot."

Charlie stepped towards his wife. "Renee…we don't know if they actually kidnapped Kelly…"

"Then where is she."

"Egypt." Helena admitted. "Her and Hank Delpine went there."

Renee rolled her eyes. "Enough lies…"

"Renee!" Charlie hissed. "We have no idea…"

"I know…you have no powers, no way to tell who is lying…"

"We know Rodreck was lying to us about stuff…what if all of this is a lie?" Charlie asked.

"What if it isn't?" Renee retorted.

At that moment, Rodreck calmly strolled into the hall. "Oh good, you found them." He tossed his gun aside. "Can I watch ya plug'em?" Renee pulled out a second gun and pointed it at him. "Ok, I don't have to watch…"

"One of you is lying to me." Renee snapped, frustrated. "I don't know who…all I want is my daughter back."

"Then shoot her kidnappers."

"Shoot us and Rodreck will kill Kelly the moment he is near her."

"Shoot them."

"Shoot her!"

"Shoot!

"Shoot!"

"SHUT UP!" Renee screamed.

BANG

^&^&^&^

Marie smiled as she felt her powers come back to her, her men all sharing similar grins. Tina gaped as acid began leaking from her hands once more.

"Well, this as been fun, Hank, truly has been. And you made me realize the error of my ways…" She grinned, every single person around her falling to their knees, clutching their heads in agony as their worst fears struck at their souls. "And I believe I should get to know the mother of my grandchild." She yanked Biddy up. "Come along."

"No…"Hank whimpered, still prone on the sand. "No…Biddy!"

^&^&^&^

Lee grinned like a madman as he moved through the warehouse, knowing that Agent Bast had made his way into the building. "Oh Agent!" He sang, twitching slightly as the sunlight poured onto his back. "You know…you killed my girlfriend…ripped her from me. Now? Now I am going to kill you. And guess what…" He threw some paper into the air, turning them into locust. "I'm going to kill you with the same things you took from me."

Agent Bast stepped out of the darkness, a similar smile on his face. "Boy…I didn't kill your girl. Freak accident took her and our powers. But now that it is gone…" Bast held up a hand, the locust changing course back to Lee. "My powers are back too." All manner of insects began to swarm the ground towards Lee, the artist just managing to jump away before being bitten by several poisonous spiders. "So yes…lets play hunter/hunted."

Lee slowly began to back away, the swarm growing larger and closer. His back pressed against a window as Bast came closer. "I control all the creatures of the Earth and the Sky…where will you run to now?"

Lee glanced behind him. "Guess." He slammed his back against the cracked window, toppling out of the building and into the water below.

Agent Bast calmly lifted his radio up. "This is Agent Bast. Lee Malion has escaped and killed my men. I want him and his friends faces plastered in every post office in the world…now."

^&^&^&^

Marie looked at Biddy as she lifted the helicopter into the air, making a quick escape to her base. "Just think, my dear…the child that grow in your womb is the most powerful being on the planet. And with his loving grandmother to raise him or her, that little baby will help me usher in a new age for us all. Your child will be the Messiah for all superpowered humans, leading us into war against the inferior, normal humans."

Biddy placed a protective hand on her stomach. "I won't let you harm my baby."

Marie laughed. "My dear, I don't think you understand at all the situation. You really don't have a say in any of this. So get that notion out of your head, ok?"

^&^&^&^

"MOVE!" The teen cried out, getting out of the way just as the Corvette slammed to the street, exploding into a fireball. Carter hung in the sky, another car already in hand as he watched them carefully.

"You won't hurt my family again!" He roared, throwing the vehicle at the man. The girl threw a throwing star at him, Carter holding out his palm and reducing it to ash.

"Funny thing about that…" The man called out, summoning a gun and unloading his clip at Carter, bullets doing nothing to stop him.

"CARTER!" Madrid screamed, pounding on the forcefield. "Please stop!"

Carter shook his head. "They hurt you, stole your powers…"

"They cured me!" Madrid countered. "Whatever is driving Sylar nuts is doing the same thing to us…they got rid of it…they can do the same for you…" She summoned several extra arms. "And look…have my powers still…feel better than I have in ages…" Vally glanced away nervously at that comment.

"No." Carter said coldly. "They want to rob us of these powers…I won't let them…"

"You have no choice." A new voice called out. Carter turned just as the portal closed, the leader of the Hunters and her husband emerging in the middle of the battle. "I am going to save you."

Carter smirked. "is that so?" he held out his hand, firing a blast of energy.

The woman calmly held up her own hand, the attack fading.

"WHAT?!?" Carter snarled.

"You are powerful…but I was trained by a stronger man than you."

"And who is that?"

"The real Carter Daniels. You are only a dark shadow, twisting him to do your bidding. I am here to banish you back to the night."

Carter was in her face in an instant, glowering at her. "I'd like to see you try." He cocked back his fist, doing the same power block move he'd used on Vally, swinging at the woman.

She caught his fist with ease, applying slight pressure.

Carter bellowed as she tightened her grip. "I am beyond anything you can do." She threw him back, holding out a hand, Carter screaming as his body began to glow. "You will release Carter now, shadow…you will never again use him…"

Carter flashed a dark grin. "There is only one that can stop me, witch." He said, his voice altered. His smile faltered when energy began pouring from him. "No…she is but a child…"

"Yes…and I am a woman." The Leader of the Hunters said calmly. "Return to the darkness, spirit…you will not harm my family again." Her woman made her open hand into a fist. "Behold the House of Daniels."

"Carter" screamed as the energy was ripped away, the red glowing power taking on the form of a great dragon before it dissipated. In its wake, the white, pure eyes of Carter Daniels blinked weakly before he fell to the ground, energy spent.

"Carter!" Madrid cried out, the forcefield down. She ran to him, Vally on her heels, the two of them cradling him close as he shivered, tears in his eyes.

"God…oh God…" he muttered, trying to get away from them, shame for his actions driving deep guilt into his soul.

"Do not blame yourself." The Leader of the Hunters said. "You were possessed, not fully, but instead by the darkness of others, twisting your desires so that you had to perform evil. Be glad…those you killed deserved death, for it was their own darkness that slayed them."

Carter stared at the woman. "Still…I…"

Vally grabbed her father tighter. "Daddy…its ok." She whispered.

Madrid nodded. "No harm came, Carter. We were stopped in time…the men we…we killed…we would have faced them later anyway…"

"Look on the bright side…" The younger male member of the Hunters said, "…now you are ready."

"Ready?"

"You needed to experience this, Carter." The Leader said. "You needed to see how evil works, how it twists good men and women. For the trials to come, you had to see all of this, to be prepared." The Leader nodded. "But do not worry…we will be here to help you begin."

Carter frowned. "Help us…how? How will you help us? How did you free us from that darkness? who the hell are you?"

The Leader of the Hunters slowly reached up, grasping her mask and pulling it away. Her lush black locks fell free, brown eyes filled with such warmth locked with his, her tanned skin only broken by her shy smile.

"Someone that loves you very much."

Carter gapped at the woman in shock, glancing at his wife and daughter, then back at the woman. Oh, he knew her right away…he knew her face well.

"Vally?" He whispered.

The Leader of the Hunters smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. "Hi daddy."

^&^&^&^

In Volume One, Carter found himself

(We see Carter holding out his hand in awe, silver flames dancing on it)

In Volume Two, Carter found his family

(We see Carter kissing Madrid, Vally grinning up at them)

Now, as Volume Three enters its final two episodes

(We see Carter staring in shock)

Carter…will find his legacy

(We see Adult Valencia standing with her husband)

ELSEWHERE

"Our Father"


	59. Our Father

"Hi daddy." The leader of the 4 Hunters said softly. Valencia smiled as the younger versions of her mother and father gaped at her, casting eyes on her own toddler self, grinning at the strangeness of it all. She remembered what was about to happen…

"NO!" Vally screamed, bursting into pink flames.

…and had forgotten how loud it was.

(Odessa, Texas)

"Vally!" Carter exclaimed, grabbing his daughter before she could attack her older self.

"NO!" Vally screamed again, eyes narrowed as she fought against her father's steadying hand.

Madrid grabbing onto the little girl, the two parents working to pull her back. Instantly, Vally had her arms wrapped around Carter's neck, sobbing. Confused by the sudden reaction, Carter hugged her close, Madrid wrapping her arms around the both of them.

"My daddy." Vally whimpered. She looked up at the 4 Hunters. "My daddy! Not your daddy! Mine!" She buried her head in Carter's neck. "mine." She mumbled.

Madrid looked at the woman claiming to be her daughter, seeking some answer.

Valencia walked over to Carter, gently stroking her younger self's hair. "You're right…he is your daddy. My dad is a lot older, and if I'm doing things right, he will be right there waiting for me to come home. But…for now…can I share your daddy with you?"

Vally blinked, considering this. "…ok." She said at last, before grinning. "You're me, right?"

"Yup."

"Am I a superhero?"

Valencia grinned. "Oh yeah."

Vally began to do a happy dance in her father's arms.

^&^&^&^

(New York City Docks, New York)

"Any sign of him?" Agent Bast demanded, watching as the agents quickly moved about the docks.

"No sign of Mr. Malion, sir."

Lorenzo grit his teeth. "Find him, now. I want to know where he is, I want to know how he got there, and I want him in custody yesterday!"

"Sir…he's just one man." An agent whispered.

Bast ran his tongue over his teeth. "One man can ruin everything, agent. The day we let one go, we begin wondering about letting two…or three. We can't afford to relax, not even for a moment."

Holding out his hand, Bast carefully called upon his bugs to begin swarming the city, seeking out Lee. He knew that the artist had too have gone back into town, to hide or find shelter…and he would find him.

^&^&^&^

Agent Bast had been wrong. Lee was smarter than he had reasoned, taking the member of the 7 Horn's threat to heart. Lorenzo had said it himself: he was master of the insects that claimed the skies and the Earth.

So Lee laid claim to the sea.

It had been risky, picking out a riptide and letting it pull him out into open waters, especially with how cold it was. But after a few minutes, he had been able to open his waterproof satchel and yank out an emergency drawing, summoning a great eagle forth to lift him skyward.

Now, riding the winds, Lee was making his way to the rendezvous point, his mind on the woman he had lost…and the man he would kill for taking her from him.

^&^&^&^

(The Daniels' Chateau, France)

Renee pulled the trigger, the sound of the gun going off echoing through her ears. It was replaced moments later by the feeling of her powers returning, the tingling in her fingers and toes that told her that her ability to cling to walls like a certain web-slinging hero.

Charlie panted, rubbing his head as his lie detector ability took hold. He turned to Renee frowned as he got a reading from everyone in the room.

"How did you know?"

Renee looked down at the prone form of Rodreck, blood leaking from the bullet hole in his forehead.

"2 Reasons. One, ever since I've known Rodreck, he's been a bastard."

"And two?" Helena asked, remaining as calm as a woman could considering she had moments ago had a gun pointed at her face.

"Always trust a mom that keeps pictures of her kid in the hall." Renee said, pointing to a picture of a ten year old Carter asleep in a chair, a large book draped over him almost like a blanket. She held out her hand. "I just want to see my daughter…think you can arrange that?"

Helena grinned, shaking her hand. "Oh yeah."

Vic morphed between young man to old man to young man again. "Well, we're all friendly again, I have my powers…can we leave before Marie Delpine storms the gate?"

Ashleigh nodded. "I'll call Hank." She flipped open her phone, turning it on, only to frown when the "NEW MESSAGE" light flicked on.

"Ashleigh…I'm trying to reach anyone…" Tina pleaded, her voice tiny as Ashleigh switched to speakerphone. "Some freaky stuff happened, Kelly and Hank went insane for a bit, their better…" There was a scuffle in the background.

"Mom took Biddy!" Hank shouted. "She took her! For the love of God, call us back!"

The adults all stared at each other, before another beeping issued, this time from Lee.

"Mom…its me." Lee said, his voice cold. "I don't know where you are…They killed Galatea. She's gone, and I'm tracking down Carter…then I need to know everything you know about Marie Delpine. She dies now, mom…Carter and I are going to kill that bitch, once and for all."

The 5 of them looked at each other one more time.

"No one say this can't get worse." Charlie muttered.

The phone beeped again.

^&^&^&^

"So, we're in what year again?" The teen asked.

The younger of the two men shrugged. "I think 2008."

"Oh, the year Arthur Petrelli tries to destroy the world?" The teen asked. "How did that one end up?"

"The same as it always does. Sylar killed people, Hiro ended up stuck in the past, and our family fought the real bad guys that actually COULD destroy the world."

The older of the two men glared at them. "Shhh!"

Valencia sighed with relief as she undid the zipper to her uniform, slowly peeling it from her skin. "Well, with everything out in the open, I'm getting out of this suit. Way to hot for the desert." She held out her hand. "Gabe?"

The younger of the two men nodded, placing a hand on Valencia's back. Purple flames bursting from his hand and turning into a sleeveless version of Carter's duster. Valencia grinned as she slipped it on over her pink shirt, her belly exposed and the neckline plunging just below her _very _ample cleavage, swirling about her incredibly tight leather pants. Her long, rich black hair swished about as she smoothed all the wrinkles from her pants, removing her combat boots. Her toes wiggled as Gabe made a pair of stylish heel boots appear, slipping them on and pulling them up her supermodel-style legs.

Vally grinned. "I'm pretty!" She giggled.

Madrid's eyes widened. "Our genetics do wonders, Carter."

"Oh Hell no!" Carter bellowed, removing his own coat and tossing it over Valencia, trying to wrap her up.

"Daddy!" Valencia complained.

"There is no way my daughter is going out dressed like that!" Carter complained.

"I'm a grown woman, daddy, I'm married, have a teenager, I'm leader of the Alliance…"

"And that gives you permission to dress like a harlot?" Carter barked. "Showing the world your tater tots?"

Valencia waved a hand at her mother. "Mom dresses like this. Hell, Mom's done nude scenes!"

"She's not my child! And I'll have you know those were tasteful nude scenes. And don't curse!"

The 30 year old raised an eyebrow. "Army Chicks was a tasteful movie?"

Madrid groaned. "I knew that film would come back to haunt me."

"You let me dress like this in the future." Valencia complained.

"Liar!" Gabe coughed.

"Shut up!" Valencia snarled.

Gabe grinned. "Ah, but what kind of brother would I be if I didn't mock you?"

Vally blinked. "Brother?"

Gabe grinned as his uniform disappeared in a blast of purple flames, leaving his dressed similar to Carter, save for the indigo shirt. If Valencia was the spitting image of Madrid, then Gabriel was his father's double. The same cunning eyes, same round yet masculine face, the only difference was the black hair that was sleeked back, making him look all the more dangerous. "Gabriel Hector Daniels, princess. Second born of Carter and Madrid. The Sword of God. Lord of Purple Flame"

"Geez, ego much?" Valencia's daughter muttered.

"Second? How many children do we have?" Madrid asked.

"Well, there is Vally and Gabe…" Valencia's husband began. He was more muscular than Carter or Hector, wide in the shoulders but not bulky. His blonde/brown hair was shaggy but kept control, his brown eyes holding a cunning Carter and Madrid found familiar.

Valencia shook her head, breaking free of Carter's grasp and adjusting her shirt. "Derek, no." She said calmly. "It could affect the future."

"And letting them know I exist won't?" The teen said as she removed her catsuit. She looked like Madrid and Valencia; in fact the teen could have easily passed for another version of Vally as well. Long black hair, full lips, a body between childhood and adult, dressed in a thin white leather jacket and sporting white pants and black shirt that showed her navel.

Valencia's eyes widened. "What are you wearing?!?" She practically screamed.

"What?" The teen asked. "Don't you like it?"

"No!" Valencia complained. "Gabriel, give her something decent to wear."

Carter raised an eyebrow. "You know, most parents wait years to see their children deal with the same headaches they themselves caused." He pointed at the teen. "And you are?"

"Sarah, your favorite grandchild." She said happily.

Gabriel scoffed. "I think the twins would disagree."

"You're sons are only a month old, they don't even know the other exists yet!" Derek commented.

"But that doesn't mean they ain't cute." Gabriel said happily.

Madrid rubbed her head. "I…I need to sit down."

^&^&^&^

(Odessa, Main Street)

Linda coughed, blood splattering from her lips as she took in several short breaths, struggling to clear her air passages.

"Calm down." Solomon said, rubbing her back. "Focus on getting air."

"What…what…" Linda stammered out, before coughing some more.

"There was an explosion." Courtney said, the front of her top covered in blood, several deep cuts lining her arms gobbed shut with her gluey saliva. "That bitch Gabriella…her bomb went off when our powers went the way of the dodo." At Linda's wide eyes, Courtney held up her hands. "We got them back…not before the damage was done though."

Linda turned to see Terrence laying beside her, unconscious.

"He's out cold…good thing too…" Solomon sighed. "We left the dead…we might be able to get them later…"

"Who?" Linda croaked.

"Yin…" Courtney closed her eyes. "We…we couldn't see your friend Marshal…he was with Yin when the bomb…"

Linda didn't try to stop the tears from falling down her cheeks.

"We couldn't find Gabriella either…we think she died in the blast too, if that is any consolation." Solomon said softly

Linda took in two shuddering breaths before staring at them. "Who…who got me…"

Solomon raised his hand. "I found you…Terrence had thrown himself over you…he protected you from the blast…" Linda began to tear up again. "That's why he's so bad off…we are sealing the wounds in his back…" Linda began to cry hard. "Its ok…he did it because he needed too…"

"He shouldn't have." Linda murmured.

Courtney frowned. "Don't go acting like you aren't important…"

"No." Linda whispered, cutting her off. "I mean it did him no good…" She stared up at the ceiling. "I've been trying to wiggle my toes for the last 4 minutes." She closed her eyes, struggling hard to make her legs move at all.

She wept as they lay still.

^&^&^&^

"You good now?" Carter asked as the group made their way through the suburbs of Odessa. Carter held out his hand, sending out whammy blasts on every block, manipulating the chemicals in all those around him into forgetting everything that had happened: the eclipse, Joseph…his own journey into super-villian world…

"Didn't know you could do this." Madrid mumbled, watching him send out another blast.

"I couldn't…but according to Valencia, I do it all the time in the future."

"This is giving me a major headache." Madrid complained, shifting Vally from one hip to the other. "Why is it you are accepting this so easily?"

Carter glanced at her. "Have you thought about our lives for a moment? Between super powers, secret organizations, supervillians, test tube babies and the fact that we've both died and talked to God…"

Madrid nodded. "Ok, ok…future baby isn't that far fetched."

"I'm not a baby." Vally and Valencia both said.

Gabriel laughed.

"Shut it, Baby Sylar." Valencia muttered.

Gabriel grit his teeth. "Don't call me that."

Carter frowned. "Wait…Baby Sylar…I named my son after Sylar!?!"

Derek shook his head. "Long story, Carter."

"You call me Mr. Daniels." Carter said coldly.

Sarah laughed. "Sounds like you're in trouble, dad."

Derek glanced over at his daughter. "No sass." Sarah rolled her eyes, the 15 year old smirking as her father. Valencia chuckled at the interplay, her husband turning to glare at her. "Watch it…she gets this from you."

"Well, there is a wonderful picture of teenage years I didn't need to see." Carter complained. "Granted, I do enjoy seeing you get mocked…"

Derek turned. "Have I offended you somehow? Because let me tell you, I'm preferring your future self. He lets me call him dad."

Carter shook his head. "Yeah, I'm sure he had plenty of time to forgive you."

"Forgive me…for what?" Derek demanded.

"Derek…dad…" Valencia pleaded.

Carter shook his head. "I'm not stupid, boy. I can do math."

"Are you following any of this, mom?" Gabriel asked.

"Not a lick."

"Sarah, sweetie, none of this is your fault. And no matter what, you are my granddaughter." Carter said softly, before he turned on Derek again. "But lets crunch the numbers. She's fifteen, Valencia is 30. That equals you knocking up my little girl when she couldn't even drive a car!"

Derek and Valencia shared a look…before bursting into laughter. Sarah and Gabriel were close behind, falling to the ground and becoming unable to do anything less than laugh. Carter and Madrid both wore confused looks, trying to figure out what exactly was so funny.

"Mom…thirty?!?" Sarah squealed. She broke down into giggles.

Vally giggles for a few moments, before glancing at her parents. "Whats so funny?"

Gabriel chuckled. "Seriosuly, dad…we're lucky Sarah is even around. You made it so clear that you'd castrate Derek if he ever even tried that, I think you ruined their wedding night."

Madrid put her hands on her hips. "I really don't get the joke. Valencia, you look only a few years older than me…"

"Mom, I'm going to be 45 next month."

Carter and Madrid's jaws dropped.

"That's…older than dirt!" Vally exclaimed.

"How?!" Carter demanded. "How are you…"

"My powers. My amping abilitiy not only makes me stronger and faster, it also give sme a healing factor on the level of Aunt Claire or Great Grandpa Adam."

"But that doesn't explain why the rest of you look so young…" Madrid began.

"I'm in my 40s. So's Derek." Gabriel commented. "Though, it does make it awkward, looking the same age as your parents…" He froze. "Oops."

"Oops…what does he mean by oops?" Madrid demanded.

Valencia held up her hands. "Mom…listen…you have to understand…I was scared…"

"Valencia…" Carter said slowly, before noticing that Vally was rapidly shaking her head no, trying to get her older self to be quiet. "Vally…what did you do?"

Vally bit her lip. "Nothing?"

"Vally…"

Valenica spoke up. "I told you, I was scared…I'd seen my mother die, heard about my father being killed…then Merrick was going to kill you and you asked me to amp you…" She turned to her mother, "And I know you said you never wanted it, but I couldn't bare losing you either…"

Madrid held up a nervous hand before she took off in a dead run…

…and blasted through a mile in 3 seconds.

She returned, grabbing a street sign and twisting it like butter. "I'm super strong…super fast…"

Carter mimicked her. "I'm stronger too…"

"You always were stronger…"

"Not like this…comes naturally…Vally…"

Valencia once again spoke for her younger self. "I wanted you to survive…but more than that, I knew I was different, and I didn't want to be. So…I made you like me. Gave you all the amps I'd given myself."

"You're saying we heal fast too?" Madrid questioned.

"More than that, mom." Valencia whispered. "You're…you're never going to die."

"Everyone dies, Valencia." Carter stated.

"Not us…daddy…we're immortal."

^&^&^&^

IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS

(We see Carter, Madrid, Vally, Valencia, Gabriel, Derek, Sarah, Terrence, Solomon, and Courtney standing together, Linda stead in a chair behind them, Lee leaning against a wall.)

THE FINAL ELSEWHERE CHAPTER OF THIS YEAR

(We see Tina, Kelly, Hank, Renee, Charlie, Vic and Helena emerging from an airplane)

IN EVERY LIFE, THERE ARE MOMENTS OF PAIN

(We see the entire cast together, staring out over a city)

BUT FROM THESE TRAGEDIES

(We cut to a studio, the various heroes of Elsewhere watching)

A NEW HOPE WILL ARISE

(Lee points at Carter)

Carter: Ladies and Gentlemen of the world…my name is Carter Daniels…and I have a message for you all.

^&^&^&^

Author's Note: From now on, Vally refers to 4 year old Vally, and Valencia refers to 44 year old Vally. As for names, yes, Gabriel is named after Gabriel Gray…there is a reason we will learn for this. Sarah is named in honor of Carter's lost sister, Sarah Ellis, aka Eden McCain. The irony is not lost that one Gabriel caused the death of a Sarah, now another Gabriel is the favorite uncle of a Sarah.

Finally, Gabriel's power will be explained in more detail later, as will Derek and Sarah's. Note, however, that each of Carter's descendents will wield energy flames in some form for their powers.


	60. Dual

"What is normal? What is special? Is there really any difference? For the special, they try to deny their differences and work to be that they can never be. For those that are normal, they cling to the idea that the little, pathetic things they do are special when they are not. In the end, normal and special are the same…they are both pathetic."

-Sylar

^&^&^&^

Carter and Madrid stared at Valencia in shock, their brains trying to wrap around what they had just heard.

"I'm sorry, I think I had some crazy in my ear." Madrid muttered, shaking her head. "did you just say we were…"

"Immortal…will never die save for a bullet to the back of the head…front works too." Sarah admitted. "Well, never tried it personally, but from what we've learned in school, that's how it works."

"School?" Carter croaked.

Gabriel shrugged. "Immortallity isn't that big of a thing anymore, thanks to big sis here." He grinned, eyes flashing purple. "Granted, I was born with the stuff…a benefit of immortal parents, I came pre-whammied. Sarah and Derek too…"

"Would you shut up, before you give away everything?" Valencia snapped.

Madrid frowned. "Don't talk to your brother like that…" Her eyes widened. "oh God, I'm accepting this!"

Vally patted her mother on the shoulder. "it ok mama."

"Yeah, its ok mama." Gabriel said, causing Madrid to groan and Vally to glare at him. "Wow, the Val stare in mini form…"

"No sass." Carter muttered. He paused, eyes flashing silver. "Someone's coming…they are a whirl of emotions…"

The group paused, tensing for what was to come…

Courtney stared at the group, raising an eyebrow. "Are one of you Carter Daniels?"

Carter slowly nodded.

"You need to come with me…Linda needs you."

^&^&^&^

Carter stared down at Linda, stroking her hair. "Hey…Professor Frey."

She smiled weakly up at him. "I thought we were past formalities."

Carter scoffed. "Think of it as respect."

Linda nodded. "Who are they?" She nodded towards the 4 Hunters.

"Long story."

"Make it short."

"Vally and her family from 40 years in the future."

"…make it longer."

Carter laughed softly at that.

Madrid glanced over at Terrence. Carter's brother was being placed in a wheelchair his agents had found, his legs reshattered. "Terrence."

"Madrid." He said calmly. "Vally."

Vally stuck her tongue out at him. "Bad man."

Valencia stared at her uncle. "Now isn't he a sight for sore eyes."

"Who is he, mom?" Sarah whispered.

"Your Great Uncle Terrence."

Sarah's eyes widened. "THEE Uncle Terrence…the one…"

"Shh." Derek nodded towards Carter. "I think this is important."

Carter lick his lips. "Has Terrence…?"

"He can manipulate nerves…he can't repair them." Linda whispered, fighting back tears.

Carter turned to Valencia. "You can me advanced healthy…could you…"

Valencia shook her head. "I do that now, and her body makes what it is right now the permanent default setting." At Carter's downcast eyes, she took a breath. "I can try…it will take a long time…longer then we'll be here…Vally will have to finish the job…and that will take longer…"

"I have all the time in the world, remember?" Carter muttered.

Linda steeled herself as Solomon and Gabriel worked to place her in the wheelchair they had found for her, setting her neck into the brace. "You said…you'd be here not that long…"

"There are a few things we need to finish…I'm not exactly for sure what."

"You don't remember from…" Madrid nodded at Vally.

Valencia shook her head. "Do you remember what you did as a 4 year old? I get snapshots, snippits…don't have any real solid memories until I'm about 5 or 6…even then they are foggy…old age and all that."

Sarah nodded. "Yeah, you're older than dirt." Carter glared at her. "Not that there is anything wrong with that, grandpa…you are a spryin' old man."

Terrence finally wheeled himself towards them, interrupting their private conversation. "It seems as if we have a common enemy, brother. The 7 Horns have attacked Company property…and at this point I can not allow The Light to fall into the wrong hands." He looked at Vally. "She's far to dangerous with you, let alone anyone else."

Derek shook his head. "Are you sure that's the same Terrence?"

"Oh yeah…got a nice snapshot of him…" She grit her teeth. 'Employer of the bear destroyer.' She thought, glad she had left her prized special bear with Gabriel. She may be old, but that bear was to be protected, damn it!

^&^&^&^

"Police can't (CENSORED) with the Juggernaut…"

All eyes turned to Carter as he quickly pulled out his cellphone. At Madrid's chuckle, he narrowed his eyes. "Two worlds: My Humps."

Madrid stopped smiling.

Carter hit the talk button on his phone, giving his wife a smirk. ""ello." He paused as the chaotic noise hit him. "Wait…slow down…they did what…no…no…." he grit his teeth. "You're…no, tell them to stay at the damn airport. I'll get them." He snapped his phone shut, shoving it in his pocket before grabbing a large piece of machinery and hurling it across the factory, bellowing in outrage. Terrence and his agents took a step back as Carter slammed his hands into the cement floor, denting it. "Terrence, we're cutting this short. Get back to the company and let them know to batten down the hatches…I'm bring the rain." Moments later, his head snapped up, eyes glowing dark silver as he locked in on Derek. "You there, son-in-law…you're like Hiro Nakamura, right?"

Derek nodded quickly. He'd seen Carter in battle like this, and knew how deadly he could be. "Yeah…Hiro bends space…I can rip it and reseal it. Cut it apart then stitch it back up…"

"Then get your knives ready, boy. We have a few stops to make."

^&^&^&^

Hank paced up and down the concord, watching as yet another plane that should be taking him anywhere but where he was currently took off. He let out a hard breath before resuming his pacing.

"Would you calm down already?" Tina asked as she chopped on the fries Kelly had grabbed for her.

"If Kelly were being tortured by your dad, right now?"

Tina nodded. "Resume pacing, I will shut up and eat more yummy fries. Just call me Xander. Yum yum yum."

"Good girl, have another fry." Kelly said, scratching her head and handing her another salted stick. Hank glared at her, only for the black woman to return his stare. "Don't try and out angry black woman me, Hank Delpine. We are all frustrated, all angry, all afraid. Biddy is gone, your mom is nuts, and we have a picture that looks like Carter is going to kill a lot of people…"

"Been there, done that, got better, wish I was still sick."

The 3 of them turned to find Carter marching towards them, his eyes blazing, black duster swirling about him.

"Sir," a airport guard called out, "may I see your…"

Carter held up his hand, whammying the man.

"Its ok, I just told him to go to sleep. I've learned all sorts of new tricks." Carter nodded at the girls. "Got your bags?"

"Only carry ons…" Tina began, before pausing. "Wait…how the hell did you get here…"

"You'll see soon enough, come on."

Kelly frowned. "how can we trust you…after what the picture showed…"

"Seems to me you know damn well why I killed those men." Carter snapped, not in the mood to fight. Kelly lowered her head. "Hank, you want Biddy back? Well, you best follow me."

Hank nodded. "Where are we going?"

"To gather the troops."

^&^&^&^

Helena leapt a few feet in the air when the rip in space appeared, a glowing blue light that jaggedly appeared right in front of her. Moments later, Carter emerged, a light haired man following after him.

"Get dad and Ashleigh…" He paused, noticing Renee and Charlie, "…and Mr. and Mrs. Ragean, apparently."

^&^&^&^

(Chicago)

Lee Malion stuffed his hands into his jacket, looking out over ball diamond. He knew Carter would be a while, but still he held hope that his friend might come sooner rather than later.

Besides, it was better than sitting alone in a hotel room trying to ignore the beer bottles singing "Drink me, drink me!"

So, he was stuck in the windy city, waiting for what could be days, maybe weeks, for Carter to show up…

"Liked that little riddle, did you?"

Lee turned, watching as Carter moved to stand beside him. "Had to make a joke about the Red Soxs?"

"It worked." Carter muttered. He glanced over at him, then back at the field. "I heard about Galatea." He placed a land on Lee's shoulder. "I'm so sorry Lee."

Lee shook his head. "Do not feel sorry for me…I have no room for it. I am filled with hate…and I will not have room for much else until I unleash it on the 7 Horns." He paused. "We are going to unleash it…right?"

Carter nodded. "Oh yea."

^&^&^&^

"Are we in?" Carter asked calmly, watching the technicians work. They buzzed about the studio, prodding and poking at machines, getting the connections in order.

Helena nodded, typing in a few commands. "A lot easier when we had Hana linking up…but I'm managing. Your dad has some good contacts."

Carter nodded, walking over to his father, watching as he adjusted some dials. "Encryption?"

Vic pointed to several grungy looking men. "Still wish I could have brought in my own people."

"But are they working?" Carter pressed.

The older-than-he-looks man reluctantly nodded. "Yeah, they got so real good."

Kelly grinned. "That's why you always trust dvd pirates." She moved to a tv camera, inspecting it. "If they can release the newest Harry Potter film and not get caught, they can encrypt a signal enough to hide us."

"Oh, they'll break through." Vic said. "We just need them to take a long time doing it."

In the back, Valencia, Gabriel, Derek and Sarah all watched, none of them quite believing what they were seeing.

"I…I saw this in school…I watched the old films on this…I can't believe we are going to see it." Sarah whispered.

"Me neither." Gabriel stated softly, watching the younger version of his father glanced at a mirror, before turning and allowing Madrid to fuss over him.

"You sure about this?" She asked gently, brushing his bangs away from his eyes.

"Getting cold feet?" Carter asked.

"I'm worried, yeah." Madrid whispered. "Why wouldn't I be? After this, we are going to have enemies coming out of the woodwork…"

"Then you don't want me to do this?"

Madrid sighed as she checked him over one last time. "The moment I accepted I was the mother of a super toddler and could duplicate anything I gave up any hope of normal. Decided to make with the special route. And considering it gave me you, I'm all for it. And I know that this…this is the only way we are going to make special a bit more normal. Going to be very rough for a while…but it will be worth it. Doesn't mean I'm not scared." She tugged him forward for a quick kiss. "Now go get them, tiger."

Carter smirked, making his way to his position, and a destiny that had begun far longer than he could possibly know.

^&^&^&^

Around the world, on that day, at 4:57 pm, the leaders of every government, as well as the leaders of all the major organizations and players within humanity, legal or illegal, all found their televisions and communication devices receiving one frequency. The message that followed would go down in history as among the most world shaking speeches ever given, right there with Martin Luther King Jr, FDR, and more. School children would memorize it, historians would debate it, and that date, in many years time, would become a celebrated point in the evolution of the human race. For in that moment, the boy that had become a man, the man that had become a father, the father that had become a hero…would become a legend.

^&^&^&^

"Attention…ladies and gentlemen. Many of you know who I am. My name is Carter Daniels…I am the CEO of Morbius, INC. And more than that…I am a hero.

"If you are hearing these words, you then fall into one of two camps. You are either a head of state…or someone that truly runs said states behind the scenes.

"If you are the former, know that you have nothing to fear from me. Remove yourself from my business, and you and your people will find no harm from me.

"But to the latter, and those that would align with you, I send this message. You have attacked my family…you have maimed us, killed us, broken us. Just as you have done to countless others. You have built your domains on the suffering of others, on the backs of the innocent and weak. You have sought control of all you see, and allowed pain to come to any that would stand against you.

"No more.

"I had believed, that with my strike against one of your own, that I could lead a quiet life. I was wrong. You continue to attack me…but more than that, should you have even ignored my family, you would have only chosen another target for your twisted games. I can no longer allow this to happen.

"You wanted a war. You wanted to show your power. You wanted to deliver a message of fear and pain.

"Message received.

"My reply is this: You will have your war. You will see **my** power.

"My name is Carter Daniels, and I send this message to all those that oppress the innocent: Spread the word to your brothern, that today, the weak and the innocent have stood up, and in one clear voice proclaimed your reign over. We are small, you are mighty…but we will not be stopped.

"Spread the word …I am here…I am coming.

"The Resistance begins."

^&^&^&^

END OF VOLUME 3

^&^&^&^

Volume 4: Fugitives

(7 Weeks Later)

Marie Delpine shook her head in annoyance. From the other side of the room, Lorenzo Bast stood, arms crossed over his chest. "How's the prego?"

"Frustrating, but the baby is fine. The girl does not understand the honor I am giving her…her child is going to be the weapon that destroys Carter Daniels and his damn family once and for all."

"And why would any mother not want that?" Lorenzo muttered sarcastically.

Marie didn't even bother to comment on that. "Who do we have left?"

Lorenzo sighed. "Quint was killed trying to get Biddy and Hank the first time. Rodreck was killed in the raid, most likely by those turncoats Renee and Charlie. Your husband is dead, Ashleigh has sided with Carter. Gabriella is missing, presumed dead…we are the only two left."

"Not quite."

The two of them turned, startled to find Gabriella standing there. The left side of her face was twisted slightly, the skin burned and scarred. The beauty that had once made her the envy of all shattered by a few light scars and discoloration. She moved forward, the lamp on Marie's desk flickering as Gabriella stole its light, the room growing darker.

"It seems my death notice was premature."

Marie raised an eyebrow. "Not that I am not overjoyed, but how did you manage to survive the explosion? All of your men were killed, as were several of Carter's men and many Company Agents…"

"She had help."

Marie stood up, tensing as the older man entered the room, his graying hair matted down, his body wrapped in blood-specked bomber jacket.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Joseph, and I am your new leader. Now…you can bow to me…" He held up a hand as Gabriella wrapped herself around him. "…or die."

^&^&^&^

To Be Continued…

^&^&^&^

(Nickelback's Gotta Be Somebody plays. A caption appears: "In 2009, they will be hunted. In 2009…one man will unite them")

This time I wonder what it feels like  
To find the one in this life  
The one we all dream of  
But dreams just aren't enough

(The screen fades to Carter walking down a dark street, his duster billowing as he heads forward. All around him, we see reporters silently crying out at him. He moves on, ignoring them)

So I´ll be waiting for the real thing.  
I'll know it by the feeling.  
The moment when we´re meeting  
Will play out like a scene straight off the silver screen

(Now photographers are trying to push their way towards him, Carter covering his eyes from the flashes but continuing his march)

So I`ll be holdin' my breath  
Right up to the end  
Until that moment when  
I find the one that I'll spend forever with

(Now there are protestors, crying out silent slurs. Carter moves on, even as they continue to taunt him)

`Cause nobody wants to be the last one there.  
'Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares.  
Someone to love with my life in their hands.  
There`s gotta be somebody for me like that.

(One of the protestors throws a rock at Carter, catching him on the forehead. Without slowing, Carter wipes the blood away and continues walking.)

`Cause nobody wants to go it on their own  
And everyone wants to know they´re not alone.  
Somebody else that feels the same somewhere.  
There`s gotta be somebody for me out there.

(A hail of rocks pelt Carter as he continues to march forward. We see in the crowd flashes of Joseph, Marie, Lorenzo, Gabriella, Sylar, Nathan, and several heads of state, including the President)

Tonight out on the street out in the moonlight  
And damn it this feels too right  
It´s just like Déjà Vu  
Me standin' here with you

(Carter pauses when he notices a rock didn't hit him)

So I´ll be holdin`my breath  
Could this be the end?  
Is it that moment when  
I find the one that I'll spend forever with?

(He turns to find Madrid smiling softly. The rock she caught drops to the ground as she links her hand with his, the two moving forward)

'Cause nobody wants to be the last one there  
'Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares.  
Someone to love with my life in their hands.  
There´s gotta be somebody for me like that.

(Carter finds himself being shielded by others: Vally, Lee, Hank, Kelly, Tina, Linda, Vic, Helena, Renee, Charlie, Ashleigh, Valencia, Gabriel, Derek, Sarah. They all surround him as they join him on his march, pushing the crowds back, blocking the hail of rocks, shielding him from the taunts and jeers. Carter raises his head proudly as he continues)

`Cause nobody wants to go it on their own  
And everyone wants to know they´re not alone.  
Somebody else that feels the same somewhere?  
There`s gotta be somebody for me out there.

(We pull back to reveal people pushing their way out of the taunting crowd, joining the march. People of all shapes, all sizes, all races and creeds join in the march, helping to protect Carter.)

Nobody wants to go it on their own  
And everyone wants to know they´re not alone.  
Somebody else that feels the same somewhere?  
There `s gotta be somebody for me out there.

(The camera pans down on a close up of Carter, his body beat down but his spirit strong)

Nobody wants to be the last one there  
and everyone wants to feel like someone cares.  
Somebody else that feels the same somewhere?  
There `s gotta be somebody for me out there.

Elsewhere

Volume 4

Fugitives

February 2nd, 2009

"_Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has._"

^&^&^&^

Author's Note: Now…where have we seen Ando's power before?

Also, all those that review this chapter will recieve a link to the exclusive ELSEWHERE computer wallpaper image


	61. A Clear and Present Danger

(7 Weeks Later)

(Élysée Palace- France)

"Bonjour, Mme Daniels."

Madrid smiled, adjusting the red jacket she wore, making sure that it showed off just a bit of cleavage. One would think that, in such a situation, she should be dressed much more conversativaly then a red micro mini skirt that was cut to show off her round, firm ass and a shirt that had her breasts practically overflowing.

But, she was in France…

"Bonjour, Monsieur le Président." She said, doing her best to remember her French. "Je suis heureux que vous me rencontriez."

The President smiled, motioning to a chair. "Why I appreciate your dedication, why don't we continue on English?"

Madrid nodded. "Merci." She blushed. "I mean thank you." She sat down, crossing her legs, slowly letting her high heel dangle off her right toe, swaying it back and forth. "I am glad we can finally get this finalized, and I apologize for the early hour."

The President nodded. "But of course. And what is a predawn meeting for me, dear lady. I must say, your husband's proclaimation of war…it did cause a few tremors."

"He has that way with people." She licked her lips, inside cringing and promising to wash long and hard afterwards and then force Carter to wipe the memory of this event from her brain with a long, hard night of…fun. "But, to know that you are going to agree to this…it is wonderful."

"Who am I to deny?" The President said. "The world is getting heroes…I want to be on the forefront. And…I hope that…when danger comes…you will remember which country offered you asylum first…" He nodded to a television, where Nathan Petrelli was talking about his position with the President of the United States. "…and which ones decided to hunt you down."

Madrid nodded. "But of course."

"Then we have an accord." The President paused. "Might I ask, where is your husband?"

"If I know him…at some club with the boys, making a scene"

^&^&^&^

(Club Spiral- Berlin Germany)

The place was packed, the music was blaring, and the booze flowed freely.

It was a place only the most elite, and most shady, of Berlin's movers and shakers knew about. A place where your money and your connections got you in, and what you were dealing saw to how long you got to say. Semi-naked bodies ground together, bodyguards watched over their bosses as they made their deals and blew off steam, and everyone there was seeking something you couldn't gain normally.

I see your dirty face high behind your collar  
What is done in vain, truth is hard to swallow  
So you pray to God to justify the way you  
Live a lie, live a lie, live a lie

Not many looked up when the three men entered. Had they, they would have noticed that they didn't seem to belong together. One appeared to be a punk/goth mix, with his purple and black hair, many piercings, sleeveless hoodie and baggy jeans. Another looked like a jock, wide shouldered with dusty blonde/brown hair and a black lettermen jacket with Predator sunglasses on. The final member of the group was more startling. His brown hair was shaggy, his eyes covered with wrap-around sunglasses, his body encased in a gray t-shirt, black leather duster hung off his shoulders and a long katana on his back.

_And you take your time  
And you do your crime  
Well you made your bed  
I'm in mine_

"What do you think?" The jock asked.

The swordsman frowned, looking about. "I feel nothing but evil here." He nodded to his companions. "Da Vinci, Phantom…spreads some panic."

The punk, Da Vinci, nodded, pulling open his hoodie and unleashing a swarm of locust. The club goers screamed in panic as the bugs darted about, dive bombing anything in sight. The jock, Phantom, disappeared, bodyguards reacting in shock as their weapons were ripped from their hands.

And still, the swordsman remained standing, watching.

_Because when I arrive I--  
I'll bring the fire  
Make you come alive,  
I can take you higher  
What this is, forgot  
I must now remind you  
Let it rock, let it rock, let it rock_

Da Vinci quickly found several burly bodyguards coming at him, their weapons gone but their fists more than enough to stop him. But the artist never paused, instead he merely snatch from his pocket one of his steel pens and drove it into the nearest guard's throat, letting him fall before he threw out a sheet of paper, a large deformed attack dog bursting from it and latching onto another guard's hand.

_Now the son's disgraced, he who knew his father  
When he cursed his name, turned and chased the dollar  
But it broke his heart so he stuck his middle finger  
To the world, to the world, to the world_

One of the men that had remained seated when the chaos had begun, deciding to just watch the anarchy unfold, suddenly wished he had gone running when he felt an invisible hand clasp his throat and a gun press into his forehead.

"Where is she?" Phantom hissed.

"I…I don't…" The man said in broken English.

"Don't play dumb with me." Phantom snarled. "Where is Marie Delpine?!"_  
_  
_And you take your time  
And you stand in line  
Well you'll get what's yours  
I got mine_

"I don't know… I don't know!"

"You do business with her." Phantom snarled. "Tell me…"

"I don't know, ok! I always went through channels…I never met her face to face…"

Phantom snorted, shoving the man's head into the wall before leaving his side, only returning to visible the swordsman's side, Da Vinci already done with his terrorizing. The crowd was now culled towards the dance floor, watching the three in free.

"Well?" The swordsman asked.

"Dead end."

The swordsman nodded. "I'll clean up. Get outside."

Da Vinci and Phantom nodded, Phantom clasping the other's shoulder and fazing them from sight as the swordsman removed his duster and sword, slowly marching towards the crowd.

Because when I arrive I--  
I'll bring the fire  
Make you come alive,  
I can take you higher  
What this is, forgot,  
I must now remind you  
Let it rock, let it rock, let it rock

"I have no need for my weapon." The swordsman said calmly.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" one patron called out. "Do you know who I am?"

"Yes." The swordsman said calmly. "I'm surprised you don't know me." He removed his sunglasses. "Sie rufen mich das Metatron."

" Mist… ist es dieser Dummkopf, Daniels!" One of the more powerful club patrons called out. "Töten Sie ihn!"

The few guards that had guns opened fired.

_Yeah!  
Wayne's World, planet rock  
Panties drop, and the tops  
And she gonna rock till the camera stop  
And I sing about angels like Angela  
And Pamela and Samantha  
And Amanda and Tamara  
Menage-a-moi  
I'm in here like, bitch what's up  
Mechanic me, I can fix you up  
I can dick you up, I can dick you down  
Shorty, we can go wherever just pick a town  
And my jewelry is louder than an engine sound  
Big ass rocks like on the ground  
Dirty like socks that's on the ground  
Weezy  
_  
Metatron twitched as the bullets ripped through him, blood splattering the floor as they tore him to pieces. Still, he remained standing, face twisted in a grimace as the men unloaded their clips into his body.

After a few moments, the club grew quiet save for the cd that still played.

_Because when I arrive I--  
I'll bring the fire  
Make you come alive,  
I can take you higher  
What this is, forgot  
I must now remind you  
Let it rock, let it rock, let it rock  
_

"My turn." Metatron said calmly as energy began to burst from the bullet holes, his skin turning to silver, his hair white flames, his eyes golden. He opened his mouth, the light from what looked like a minature sun pulsing from his throat, and let out a bellow as he exploded.

_Because when I arrive I--  
I'll bring the fire  
Make you come alive,  
I can take you higher  
What this is, forgot  
I must now remind you  
Let it rock, let it rock, let it rock_

Outside the club, Phantom and Da Vinci listened to the screams with mild interest, making sure no one was coming to investigate. When Metatron finally emerged, placing his duster over his now destroyed shirt, they both looked up.

"What about the club?" Da Vinci asked.

Metatron walked over to a Hummer that was parked across the road, face contorting as he lifted it into the air, calling upon his super strength.

"No evidence." He grunted, tossing the vehicle. His two companions nodded, pulling out their guns and firing at the Hummer. All three turned their backs as the blazing hunk of metal collided with the building, the explosion rocking the block.

"Lets go." Metatron said coldly as he tore the shredded and bloodied t-shirt from his chest. "We have other leads to follow."

^&^&^&^

(The Petrelli Mansion-New York)

Angela looked over at Nathan, the files laid out over the table. "You've managed to come up with quite a game plan, Nathan." She frowned, moving past the manilla folders to ones done in black. "But…there is still these."

Nathan sighed. "We've been over this, ma. I'm working on it."

Angela shook her head, pulling out a photo of Carter and Madrid walking through a Parisian Park, Vally skipping in front of them. "The Daniels family are a major threat to us all. They can ruin everything."

"We wouldn't have to worry about them is Linderman hadn't gone tinkering." Nathan commented. "Besides…if what we know about Vally is true…"

Angela laughed. "How about we just steal Mt. Rushmore?" She jammed her finger at Carter's image. "That man there killed 50 Company agents when we took his daughter and wife. After he broke them out, another man kidnapped her." She pulled out a photo of the ruins of Flint, Michigan. "He destroyed half the town getting her back. There is a reason Carter Daniels beat our Sylar on The Company's list of dangerous rogues." She leaned forward. "You go after him, he'll kill you. But if you go after his family…him and everyone on his side will hunt you and all you love down and not blink as they destroy them."

^&^&^&^

(The Delpine Estate- The Swiss Alps)

Marie Delpine shook her head in annoyance. From the other side of the room, Lorenzo Bast stood, arms crossed over his chest. "How's the prego?"

"Frustrating, but the baby is fine. The girl does not understand the honor I am giving her…her child is going to be the weapon that destroys Carter Daniels and his damn family once and for all."

"And why would any mother not want that?" Lorenzo muttered sarcastically.

Marie didn't even bother to comment on that. "Who do we have left?"

Lorenzo sighed. "Quint was killed trying to get Biddy and Hank the first time. Rodreck was killed in the raid, most likely by those turncoats Renee and Charlie. Your husband is dead, Ashleigh has sided with Carter. Gabriella is missing, presumed dead…we are the only two left."

"Not quite."

The two of them turned, startled to find Gabriella standing there. The left side of her face was twisted slightly, the skin burned and scarred. The beauty that had once made her the envy of all shattered by a few light scars and discoloration. She moved forward, the lamp on Marie's desk flickering as Gabriella stole its light, the room growing darker.

"It seems my death notice was premature."

Marie raised an eyebrow. "Not that I am not overjoyed, but how did you manage to survive the explosion? All of your men were killed, as were several of Carter's men and many Company Agents…"

"She had help."

Marie stood up, tensing as the older man entered the room, his graying hair matted down, his body wrapped in blood-specked bomber jacket.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Joseph, and I am your new leader. Now…you can bow to me…" He held up a hand as Gabriella wrapped herself around him. "…or die."

Marie tilted her head. "How very amusing, Joseph…I was, in this very moment, thinking the exact same thing as you." She held up her hand, Joseph yelling out a roar of pain as he fell to his knees. "There, was that so…"

The lights blinked as Gabriella unleashed her shadows, sucking up all the light and leaving them all in darkness. Marie and Lorenzo blinked as they heard Joseph pant heavily, moving about.

"Nice trick…" Joseph's voice seemed to come from everywhere. "Here's mine."

Pain.

Marie knew it well.

But never like this.

It felt like her skull was splitting open and compacting at the same time. She clutched her ears, howling as Joseph brutally used his mastery of sound to rattle her frontal lobe and leave her twitching on the ground. In the darkness he fell ext to her, trying to shake off her own emotion-controlling attack.

"Enough of this." Lorenzo commanded, a swarm of fireflies bursting into the room and forcing Gabriella to back away, the light burning her skin, moving to quick for her to capture. "Look at ourselves…fighting like dogs." He glared at Gabriella. "Remove your shadows. Marie, release this man…and you, Joseph, end your nonsense and tell us why you are here…" He paused, flicking his finger, watching as the tiny gray scorpions he'd called from his room crept along Joseph's shoulder. "And I wouldn't lie."

Joseph nodded, standing up as Marie, to her own annoyance, released him from her emotional-control. He adjusted his jacket, staring at the group carefully. "In a word? Revenge. I am after 2 people that have taken my place as the most dangerous powered beings on this planet. I have already beaten one…the man named Sylar would have died at my hands had it not been for his partner."

Marie raised an eyebrow. "You defeated Sylar?" Sylar had been someone she wished to encounter herself, to test her powers against. The idea that this man could actually defeat him… "Then, perhaps, Joseph, we should talk."

^&^&^&^

(The Daniels Family Chateau- France)

Carter carefully removed his duster and heavy boots, making sure to ease them to the floor rather than let them drop. He kept the lights off in the bedroom, so not to wake anyone. Moving swiftly, he made his way to the dresser, stepping out of the rest of his clothing, grabbing a pair of silk pajama bottoms.

"Mmmm." Madrid said sleepily, staring up at him from her pillow. "What do we have here?" She was wearing a very revealing red nightie, and even without makeup and her hair tussled, she was a sight to behold.

"You waiting for me, baby?" Carter asked, taking a step forward.

"Not…baby." A little voice muttered.

Carter closed his eyes, tilting his head up before he swiftly pulling on the pjs and moved to the bed. Pulling up the sheet, he found Vally fast asleep, dressed in a pair of Supergirl pajamas, her little rump poking high into the air, the special bear in her arms.

"She wanted to wait up for you…I didn't realize…" Madrid said, smiling with sympathy.

Carter stroking his daughter's hair. "I'll live." Vally's eyes fluttered open. "Hey pumpkin."

"Hi daddy." Vally murmured, her eyes still heavy. "It morning?"

"No, its still night time."

Vally nodded slowly. "Can I sweep with you tonight?"

Carter and Madrid shared a look, it clear the last thing either of them wanted was the little body in the bed. Madrid had planned on surprising her husband with a welcome home celebration filled with naughty, and naked, fun.

"Sure princess."

Being a good parent sucked.

"Are you gonna be here when I wake up? Or you have'ta go to work again?"

Carter slipped under the covers, pulling his baby girl close. "No, I'll be here."

Vally mumbled softly, falling back to sleep.

"Any leads?" Madrid asked.

"Dead end…I will talk to Tina and Kelly tomorrow…then we start the search over."

Madrid fell back against her pillow. "Goodie."

Vally snored

Carter groaned. "Children…the ultimate cock-block."

^&^&^&^

"There is something you wish to say to me, Lorenzo, isn't there? Something on the tip of your tongue that you want to let me know about, am I right? Why don't you just say it, my boy?"

Lorenzo glanced over at Marie as the two watched Biddy in the nursery they had set up for her, the woman still pissed she was trapped. "Joseph."

"But of course…what else would there be for you to talk about but the little noise maker?"

"He's more than that. He's bad news, Marie. And he has Gabriella wrapped around his finger. It's very dangerous for those two to be together. I don't trust him."

Marie shook her head is disgust. "You doubt me too much, Lorenzo. Joseph managed to surprise me this morning, but I will not allow him to do it again. I will be ready, and he will fall."

"But will Biddy?" Lorenzo asked, nodding towards the nursery. "The last of the Delpines, dwells within her, a child that will rival Valencia Daniels in power." He shook his head. "I had Maxwell look him up…Joseph has a thing for pregnant chicks…they make him go bananas. If he finds out about Biddy…"

Marie nodded. "Get Maxwell and get Riker…we'll increase security."

Lorenzo sighed. "Lets pray it is enough."

^&^&^&^

Helena glared at her adult grandchild, annoyed as Valencia peeled an apple. "Your father is killing himself, he is risking his life, and you are sitting there snacking?" She turned on Vic, who was also eating. "And you! You convinced our son to join this Alliance of yours, the same Alliance that is trying to kill him and that kidnapped Biddy, and you haven' done a damn thing!"

Vic shrugged. "I'm not worried because I figured this all out. Valencia here isn't freaked, and that is because she already lived through this! We're fine as can be! Carter lives…immortal, remember…Biddy is found, happy days."

"Flawless logic." Derek said from behind the kitchen counter. "Except in our time, Daphne saved Hank and Biddy, The Company held Merrick, and Peter Petrelli saved Carter from going all Uber Sylar. But, thanks to Peter's trip through time, things changed."

Valencia nodded. "That's why we are still here. The timeline isn't solid yet. Peter ended up helping us against Marie and the 7 Horns…now he isn't here, and we are taking his place, grandpa."

Vic frowned. "When will you know the timeline is correct?"

Sarah frowned from where she perched next to her father. "No clue. Malcolm said that he would tell us."

Helena frowned. "Malcolm?"

Gabriel scoffed. "You know…Malcolm Grant?" He looked back and forth between Helena and Vic. "6 feet tall, British Guy, shaved head, dressed like Bullseye from the Daredevil movie? Can see how events came to be and see how actions will change major events in the future? Immune to timetravel, the Lord of Bloody Chaos, the most powerful seer that lived, dad's Number 2 advisor?" He held up his hands. "Any of this ringing a bell?"

Valencia nodded. "Where is Malcolm?"

Helena narrowed her eyes. "I ask again…who the hell is Malcolm Grant?"

Derek shared a look with her husband. "Remember when Malcolm told us, right before we came here, that we had a lot of work to do…you think…"

"He meant saving him?" Valencia whispered, it finally dawning on her that, while in her own fuzzy memories of her toddler years that Uncle Malcolm had always been around, this wasn't the case. That Malcolm had come into their lives late…like several other people she still was trying to figure out how into placed. "Probably."

Gabriel sighed. "Jeez, first Aunt Sarah isn't here, now this?"

"Who?" Vic asked.

Sarah frowned. "You know, Aunt…" Derek covered his daughter's mouth.

"Listen…"He said, trying to divert attention before Sarah caused a time paradox, "…we need to find Malcolm…he plays a vital role in Carter's rise to power."

"Can he find Biddy and get my son to stop invading German clubs?" Helena asked.

"I…guess so, grandma." Valencia said.

"Then lets find the bastard." Helena said wickedly.

^&^&^&^

"Go to the cockpit!" Peter shouted at Claire, working over the last guard before making his way to the other imprisoned people, ripping off their hoods and removing the nose plugs that were feeding them the drugged air. Pausing at one near the back, Peter pulled his hood off, only for the man's head to snap up.

"Remove these bloody cuffs, would ya?" The British man said.

Peter frowned as he did so. "Why aren't you…"

"Drugged?" The man asked as he stood up. "Saw this coming, the chaos lines told me which foods to eat to counter it. Amazing, nature and all that." He made his way towards the door Claire had gone through. "Thanks mate."

"Where are you going?" Peter asked. "We need to get the rest of these people free, Claire's already getting to the pilot."

The man nodded "You keep doin' that, I'll make sure she is fine, that none of them guards are goin' after her."

"Who are you?" Peter called out.

The British man grinned. "The name is Malcolm Grant." He turned, but instead of going left, towards the guards that were coming after Peter, Malcolm went right, taking a moment to snag a parachute. "Sorry kid…" Malcolm focused, waiting for the signal. All around him glowing lines told him what was coming, whispering all the possibilities. One suddenly flared, and Malcolm ripped the door open, double checking his parachute as the plane lurched. "…but I got business with the Voice of God."

And with that, Malcolm jumped.

^&^&^&^

Next Time…

(We see Valencia talking with the group)

Valencia: Malcolm Grant is the key…we find him, we find Biddy

IN ORDER TO SAVE ONE OF THEIR OWN

(We see Marie kneeling before Biddy)

Marie: You need to listen to me…because me, I'm not the worst person in the world…not one bit

(We see Joseph smirk, followed by Sylar walking down a street)

THEY MUST DISCOVER ANOTHER

(We see Malcolm looking around a forest)

AND TO DO THAT

(We see Nathan walking to his car)

THEY WILL CONFRONT THE TRAITOR

(Carter holds Nathan up by his throat)

Carter: You tell me where they are, or I will kill you!

Elsewhere- Chapter 62: Trust and Blood

^&^&^&^

And now, for fun, the lost scene from the HEROES Super Bowl Spot.

(We fade in on the field where Peter, Nathan, Matt Mohinder, Hiro, Ando and Claire are playing the NFL legends. The camera pans back to reveal the ticket booth…)

Carter: You can't be serious!

(We see Carter, Madrid, Hank, Kelly, Tina, Malcolm Grant, and Vally, all dress in football gear, arguing with the guard.)

Kelly: Do you know who we are?

Guard: Yeah. People who aren't on the list.

Hank: I can't believe this. Come on man, we're suppose to be playing!

Guard: If you aren't on the list, you don't get in.

Tina: We are the cast of ELSEWHERE! The longest running Heroes fic…one of the first ones ever written! One of the most popular Heroes fics ever!

Guard: Do you appear on TV?

Madrid:…no.

Kelly: I thought you were on Ugly Betty?

Madrid: Just because I'm Hispanic I have to be on Ugly Betty? I don't see you starring on The L Word!

Malcolm: Forget this wanker…I have a great idea.

ELSEWHERE…IT'S HEROES…WE'RE JUST STILL TRYING TO GET TIM KRING TO NOTICE US

(We see Malcolm dribbling a soccer ball.)

Malcolm: Now this is real football…hey, I ever tell ya I was almost cast as Desmond on LOST?

Vally:…we missed the singy ad too.

Carter: I am so firing our agent.


	62. Trust and Blood

(The Daniels Family Château- France)

"Where's Vally?" Carter asked, not bothering to look up as he cut up bits of spiced ham. He'd convinced the chef to take the morning off…and there was something he would never get use to, having a chef…so that he could indulge in one of the few simple pleasures he had remaining from his old life: cooking. On the menu this morning: his meat lover's omelets.

"She is with Ashleigh." Madrid said from the door way. "Don't know about the rest of the family…haven't heard a peep."

Carter nodded. "Then I guess there will be plenty of breakfast for us." He poured some milk into a bowl and began to crack some eggs in.

"That's not what I had in mind."

Her tone made it clear Carter needed to turn around. And he wasn't disappointed: Madrid was standing in only a sheer bathrobe, which she was ever so slowly letting slide open.

"I never did get to give you your welcome home present."

Carter raised an eyebrow. "And what I shame that would be." Breakfast forgotten, he closed the gap between them quickly, grasping his wife's hips and drawing her into a fiery kiss. "Maybe I should just forget about breakfast…brunch?" Madrid ran her fingers down his bare back. "Lunch?" he whispered.

Madrid slipped her hands past the waist band of his pajamas.

"Who needs to eat?" Carter asked, returning to the kiss.

"Hey dad, can we…" Valencia froze, eyes widening as the younger versions of her parents paused mid-grope. "Well, I'd say I was scarred for life if I hadn't walked in on this before."

"Says you!" Sarah screamed, turning away. "My eyes, my beautiful eyes."

Gabriel held up his hand. "Dude…not cool dad."

Derek groaned. "At least it ain't my parents."

Helena and Vic, who were standing behind the future versions of Carter's family, both adverted their eyes. "Son…in the kitchen?" Helena asked, slapping Vic when he flashed Carter a thumbs up.

Madrid quickly snapped her robe shut. "What can we do for you?"

Carter nodded. "Yeah, what hole do I need to bury you people in so I can get some privacy."

"No time for love, Doctor Jones." Gabriel said, looking back once he was sure his mother and father were decent. "We have to rescue the Lord of Bloody Chaos."

"…who?"

^&^&^&^

(Outside Russville, Arkansas)

"Oh, bloody hell."

Malcolm Grant groaned as he looked around the forest, gathering his bearings. Already he could hear the sirens of the government vehicles investigating the downed plane…Malcolm was in no mood to deal with the local police or Nathan Petrelli's guerilla forces.

The fact that Malcolm had leapt out before the crash had worked well in his favor; he was at least a mile or two away, and if he kept going, he could gain another half minimum before the agents were at the site. By then, he would be too far gone, meaning that, to Nathan, Malcolm would be dead.

"Stupid Yankee git…" He muttered, focusing on the line he had been following since the moment Nathan had confronted him and had him taken away. "Damn it Petrelli, all I did was kill your da…no reason to do this to me." Sure, Malcolm had, when captured by Pinehearst, been the one to tell Arthur Petrelli to believe in Sylar, knowing it would lead to the man's death…but what did one suspect? He'd been kidnapped!!

One of the lines flared.

"I bloody know I was destined to do this." He muttered to himself and the lines as he approached a tree. One of the glowing lines flared. "Oh, you've got to be kidding." Another line glowed, and when Malcolm stared at it, he watched himself being shot over and over. Behind him, the forest was shaken by the plane exploding. "Ok, ok, I get your point!" He began to pull off the prison jumpsuit. "Gonna freeze my two bits and piece out here." He mumbled as he stripped to his birthday suit.

^&^&^&^

Carter rubbed his head. "Let me see if I have this straight…" His adult children, grandchild, son-in-law and parents were standing before him, Madrid to his right trying vainly not to look to embarrassed having a meeting in nothing but a robe. "There is this man, Malcolm Grant. He can see different outcomes from different actions. In the future, he is my lead adviser. He also might be the man that can help us find Biddy. But you have no idea where he is…and that is why I can't have sex with my wife."

"Carter!" Helena snapped.

Carter rolled his eyes. "This sounds very entertaining, but I have a lot of plans for my one day off, and searching for a needle in a hay stack…"

Madrid smiled wickedly. "So, once you know where Malcolm is…"

"Hey guys!" Lee called out, rounding the corner, only to do a double take. "Did…I miss something fun?" he asked, looking Madrid up and down.

Carter's right hand ignited. "Lee…"

"Sorry, sorry." The artist said, holding out Isaac Mendez' ELSEWHERE sketchbook. "I was going through the book, and I found something."

This got everyone's attention. Isaac's book had ended with Carter and Madrid going red-eyed, killing people. It was all Isaac had, apparently, seen.

"What is it?" Derek asked.

Lee grinned. "I found this drawing folded up and hidden in a pocket in the back cover." He unfolded the parchment, laying it out on a table for all to see.

It was Nathan Petrelli, interrogating a young man.

"That's Malcolm!" Sarah squealed.

Carter and Madrid sighed. "Raincheck?" They both muttered, heading upstairs to get dressed.

"And don't even think of doing anything!" Valencia called out. "We need to leave for Washington in an hour."

The couple's curses could be heard throughout the chateau.

^&^&^&^

POUND POUND POUND

Sister Gladys looked up from the little pile of dust she was sweeping to the back of the church, the sound of fists colliding with the heavy wooden door breaking the silence within the church. Setting her broom to one side, she made her way past the pews, up several stairs and grasped the golden handle of the door, pulling it open.

She took several steps back in shock as the nude man tumbled to the floor.

"What's that bloody word the hunchback said?" Malcolm muttered. "Sanctuary?"

^&^&^&^

"So…which one is that one?"

"That's Starfire." Vally said, snuggled firmly in her father's lap, a picture book laid out on her knees. They plane was flying smoothly, so Carter had been trying to get his little girl to take a nap. She, however, was interested in other things. "She fires energy."

Carter nodded, flipping the page. "And that's Robin, right?"

Vally nodded. "Yup, he's leads of the group." She gave her father a secretive smile. "Or, he likes to think so."

Madrid leaned over to Vic. "Who gave Vally the Tin Titans picture book?"

"Who do you think?" Vic muttered, Vally happily telling her father all about Beast Boy. "Tina is corrupting her."

"And that's Blue Beetle."

Carter frowned. "No, that isn't the Blue Beetle."

Vally shook her head. "Uh huh!"

"Nu uh."

"Uh huh!"

"Nu uh." Carter said firmly. "The Blue Beetle is Ted Kord…daddy knows this, because daddy's company made the Booster Gold Video Game, and Ted is in it."

"This is the Blue Beetle. Jamie." Vally grinned happily. "He's Hi…Hi…Hispaniel?"

"Hispanic, Vally." Madrid said gently from where she sat.

Carter shook is head. "Ted Kord is the Blue Beetle, and he is white. Why do they keep replacing heroes with Mino…i…ties." Carter mumbled the last part at the death glares he received from Vally, Madrid, Valencia, Gabriel and Sarah. "So…Jamie is really cool, huh?" he said quickly.

Vic and Helena snickered.

^&^&^&^

"You poor man…" Sister Gladys said, handing Malcolm a warm cup of cider. "And you walked how far?"

"Only a mile or so." Malcolm said, shivering. He took a long draught from the cup, letting it warm his stomach and his hands. "They don't tell ya about this in those bloody vacation brochures."

It had been a simple lie. He'd arrived at the church, naked and cold, claiming that he had been assaulted by thieves. They'd made him strip, stole his possessions, then left him huddling behind a bush as they made their escape.

A far fetched story, but more plausible than him gaining a superpower, being kidnapped by Pinehearst, then being loaded onto a plane by a Senator from New York only for said plane to crash.

Sometimes he wondered if God was mocking him.

"I will get the pastor right away, and then we will see about getting you some warm clothing."

"Bless ya, sister." Malcolm said, taking another drink and wondering what the glowing chaos lines would demand of him next.

^&^&^&^

Nathan Petrelli rubbed his forehead. People talked about disasters all the time. You burned a roast, that was a disaster. You went to work with your slip showing…that was a disaster…though, Nathan didn't know what a 'slip' was…it was still a disaster, apparently. You bought the wrong ink cartridge….disaster.

Then there were things that actually might be considered disasters. The economy in the tank. Hurricanes. The Mets.

None of that measured up to what Nathan was dealing with.

A plane, filled with some of the most powerful, and in Nathan's, dangerous people on the planet, had just crashed. On it were his brother, his illegitimate daughter, a former lover, and the man that had led Nathan's father to employ Sylar.

This…this was a disaster.

"Mr. Petrelli?"

Nathan looked up, noticing for the first time the utterly gorgous woman standing in his office doorway. Long black hair, tanned skin, legs that went on for ever and breasts that surely were the reason God had taken that 7th day off, because even He would want some time to admire them. A goddess dressed in a black and pink pantsuit.

"My name is Ana Maria…I hope I am not interrupting…"

Nathan shook his head, trying to force the blood back into his brain and away from…other parts. "Somewhat…" The woman gave him a pout, and Nathan pulled the groan back into his body. "But…I can spare a minute."

Ana smiled "Good…my father has taken an interest in you."

Nathan nodded. "That is…good…I am working hard to keep this country safe…"

"From whose with powers?" Ana said. She smiled gently. "My father is a powerful man…and has the ear of many politicians. He has learned of your plan and wishes to speak with you…it is of a great interest…"

Nathan shook his head. "I don't think…"

"I believe we can offer help, Mr. Petrelli…" The woman leaned over the desk, her breasts almost pressing into Nathan's nose. "Please?" She whispered.

Nathan gulped. "I…could spare a few moments."

^&^&^&^

(Daniels Chateau)

"Have you tried Asia yet?"

"Yes."

"Brazil?"

"Yes."

"Mars?"

"…no Hank."

Hank Delpine paced back and forth, watching as Kelly Raegan went about what had become a daily ritual: Searching in vain for Biddy.

"I don't get it…why can't you find her?"

Kelly glared at her friend. "I don't know, I just can't. I know she is on the planet, that she is still alive. But when I try and get a clearer picture…everything goes fuzzy. Nothing else does that to me, just here."

"What if you pressed harder…"

Tina grabbed Hank by the shoulder and slapped him.

"Back off." She snapped. "She is killing herself trying to find her."

Hank rubbed his cheek. "…sorry Kel."

Kelly nodded, flopping down on her bed. The room was undecidedly divided: One half covered in light pastels and clippings from newspapers, the other side a splash of color, with a bookcase filled with comic books and action figures and a poster with Carter's head put on top of Sinestro's body, the words, "The Real Lord of Fear" written in black marker.

"We know you are worried…we're working on it." Tina flopped down next to Kelly, running her fingers through her girlfriend's hair. "But we will find her…and if we don't, the bossman will."

Hank nodded. "I know…I just…"

Kelly nodded. "You miss her." She smiled weakly. "We will get her back, Hank…we will."

Tina nodded. "Until then though, I suggest we do something more productive."

"Oh?" Hank asked.

Tina grinned. "Go round up who ever stayed…I feel like going to a club…busting some of your mom's goons down."

^&^&^&^

"Why does your father want to meet here?" Nathan asked as the goddess in mortal form led him through the parking garage.

"My father wishes to keep this meeting private. For…certain reasons…he can not be seen offering you what he has."

"And what does he have to offer me?" Nathan asked.

"Pain." Ana said simply, eyes glowing pink as she whipped around, grabbing Nathan by the throat. She leaned in close, teeth clenched. "As if I would ever let you touch me, you slimy piece of trash."

"Valencia Ana Maria Daniels…" A voice called out from the shadows. Nathan's eyes widened as Carter Daniels stepped forward, dressed in a dark suit. "There is no need for name calling." He smiled at Nathan, like a wolf would to a wounded bunny. "Mr. Petrelli? My name is Carter…we need to talk."

^&^&^&^

"How is the food? I'll have you know that it is the finest that one can get in these parts, made especially for pregnant women to help strengthen them up, as well as protect their child."

Biddy looked up, glaring at Marie Delpine. "Fine." She snapped. And it was true…despite what she might think of Marie, and the way the woman talked about her being unworthy of her son, Marie had showered Biddy with gifts and supplies, everything she could need to stay comfy.

But Biddy wasn't crazy…she knew the only reason she was treated so kindly was the small life she now carried in her womb. Her child. Hank's child.

The last child of the House of Delpine.

Marie watched as Biddy ate. They were in Biddy's cell, which looked more like a small apartment, complete with a nursery. A nursery that, if Marie had her way, would never see Biddy place her child in.

Biddy would be long dead before that happened.

"Your child is going to get the best I can offer. I have quite a bit of wealth, but also know how to give it without making one jaded. Just look at my Hank…a perfect example of the Delpine family…as will your child…"

"Never." Biddy said coldly. "My child will never be one of you."

Marie took several steps forward. "You act like I'm the villain of this little story, m dear foolish Biddy. You act like I am the big bad wolf, here to gobble up your child. But allow me to correct you: I am the hero of this little tale. And do you know why? Because there is a man within this building, a man I am forced to align myself with at the moment, who would like nothing more than to kill you and your child right now. His name is Joseph, and you have never faced the likes of him. So, might I suggest that you work with me…because otherwise…we all die."

Biddy took this in, watching as Marie left. Setting her food aside, she placed a hand on her slightly extended tummy.

"For now…but know this, baby…you will never be a Delpine, or a Bargo. You are going to have a better name, the name of a hero…you will belong to his house…you will have his last name…" She smiled. "Behold the House of Daniels."

^&^&^&^

"I thought Valencia was a child…" Nathan took a step back, only to feel Valencia's iron grip on his throat once more.

"I wouldn't." Carter warned. "I can rip a car in two, and my girl is A LOT stronger than that."

Valencia ran her tongue over her teeth. "Give me a reason, please."

"And to answer your question, time travel is a bitch."

"And so am I." Valencia whispered.

"What…what do you want?" Nathan croaked.

Carter shrugged. "I want someone…someone you hold captive. And I am not leaving until I know where you took them."

Nathan took a deep breath. "I don't know…"

Carter's hand ignited in silver flames. "Don't lie to me, Petrelli. I can feel the deceit in your mind. The truth…now."

Nathan looked up at him, trying to hide his fear. "I am doing what is right, protecting the innocent from people like you."

Valencia raised an eyebrow. "This is the same Nathan Petrelli that almost nuked New York, right?" She chuckled. "You died saving Philly, he almost destroyed New York. Classic."

"Very much so." Carter said, taking a step forward "I'm losing my patience." The flames grew more wild. "Talk, Petrelli…or I will drag every little fear out of you until you tell me every dark secret you have looked away in that over gelled head of yours." Nathan held firm. "So be it." Carter allowed a bit of energy to touch Nathan, the Senator screaming as he clutched his head, horrible visions swarming his line of sight. It lasted only moments, but when Carter removed the whammy, Nathan was ready to spill. "You have a weak mind…what a surprise."

"A plane…I loaded them onto a plane…was taking them someplace where…where they could never hurt anyone."

"The place, Petrelli."

"Doesn't matter." Carter held up a hand. "Wait! The…The plane crashed! Most are still alive…we are looking for them."

Valencia and Carter shared a look. "Where is the plane?" Valencia asked.

"My Blackberry…"

Valencia fished around for it. "Yoink." She muttered. Lifting Nathan up, she threw him like a rag doll across the garage, sending him skidding against a wall.

"Carter…" Nathan moaned. "I…I didn't want Claire on that plane…she snuck on…but she's ok…" Carter slowly turned, eyes glowing a dark silver and Nathan's heart sunk. "…you weren't looking for Claire, were you?" Carter began to walk back towards him. "Listen…she's safe…she's back home…I haven't hurt her! I'm not going to hurt the innocent…not Claire." He continued to plead his case. "Look at yourself…you want to kill me…and you have the power to do it. And there are hundreds of people like you out there…not just acting on their desires, but teaching their children…like you're teaching your daughter…"

Nathan released a second to late that calling a man's daughter a potential killer…was the wrong thing to say.

In an instant, the young man was on Nathan, punching him several times. Carter made sure to check his punches, so not to blow a hole through Nathan's stomach. He wanted the man in pain, not dead. Death was the easy way out. He rained blows upon him, snarling and snapping as he did so.

"Look at you, you pathetic little slug!" Carter's leg slammed into Nathan's hand, his heel grinding down on the bone, crushing it. "You stand there and preach safety and justice…you hide behind noble goal!" Nathan's nose shattered. "You betray everyone that loved you!" A pop filled the air as one knee cap was broken. "And you hurt the innocent for your own selfish gain!" another one broke. "You disgusting bug!" Several ribs cracked as Carter continued his assault. "And you do this in the name of God and Country?!?!" He grabbed Nathan by the privates and twisted hard.

Finally, his rage spent, Carter looked down at the shaking form of the man that had endangered everything. Nathan was quivering, whimpering like the weak spoiled child he was. Blood covered the cement, the putrid stench of urine drifted from Nathan's pants, the pretty boy face that fooled so many lay destroyed before him.

"Tell your dogs, they come after my sister, my daughter, my wife, my friends, my parents…" His entire body erupted into whammy flames, and he grabbed Nathan's skull, the Senator screaming. "**And I'll never remove what I just put in there." **The flames receded, Carter turning and spitting on Nathan's broken body. "Heal him…I don't want him to have anything physical to use against me."

Valencia nodded, using her powers to amp up Nathan's healing, only to remove them moments later.

Nathan slowly stood up. "What…what did you do to me? What did you put in my head?"

Carter grinned darkly. "You'll see soon enough."

^&^&^&^

"Thank you, Father." Malcolm Grant said, pulling on the black stocking cap. The church had, surprisingly, had a lot to offer in free clothing, and Malcolm was all to ready to claim what he could.

Thus, he was now garbed in a rather nice set of clothing, things that he once would never have worn, but found now fit the rougher edge he'd gained since that day his ability had activated.

His hair was still just stubble, growing back slowly, so he donned a black stocking hair, a small one that made him look aggressive rather than dorky. A simple orange long sleeve shirt was covered by a long wool coat, which hung down to his ankles and whished brilliantly as he walked. The pants must have been donated by some punk kid's mom, they were covered in bits of chain and metal studs. All in all, a good look, and proper for a British boy looking for a rumble.

"Will you be staying long?" The priest asked.

"Not long." Malcolm said, noticing a line flair. "I got friends comin'."

^&^&^&^

Nathan rubbed his head. He was healed…his wounds gone…but he could still feel…something. Something crawling around in his head…

"He has my Blackberry." Nathan told the Hunter's men. "You can track it. I want him brought in, alive. Other than that, I could care less. Chop off his limbs, gouge out his eyes, it doesn't matter. I want him alive and able to use his powers." He sighed, something flashing in his brain. "But don't mess this up…we lose Carter Daniels here …we're all dead."


	63. Building 26

(The Crash Site)

"You sense anything?" Carter asked.

Valencia focused, eyes glowing pink. "Strong power source about 5 miles to the East. Its Malcolm alright. I would recognize his signal anywhere." She paused, her eyes returning to normal. "I got no one else in the area…atleast at a 10 mile radius."

"Then lets get going. Vally…I mean you…I mean younger you…" Carter groaned. "This is very confusing."

"Think of how I feel. Atleast little me is potty trained…that would be real creepy."

As the two talked, neither realized that the Blackberry they had stolen from Nathan was leading some of The Hunter's men right towards them.

^&^&^&^

(The Swiss Alps)

"Where are you going?"

Joseph looked down at the nude form of Gabriella as he pulled his pants back on. A thin sheet was draped over her, the afternoon light dancing along her skin.

"It's the middle of the day…I have work to do."

Gabriella frowned. "I thought…we might…stay in?"

Joseph raised an eyebrow. "We have stayed in quite enough…even I need rest."

The brazilian pouted. "But I want us to have fun!"

Joseph shook his head. "Work must be done, as it leads to better things."

"I think you just don't want to be with me."

"What would give you that idea?" Joseph asked, kissing her check and making his leave. "Oh right…" he muttered. "I did."

^&^&^&^

Before Carter could open the door of the church, he found it pulling away, revealing a man dressed in dark clothing, looking at him with knowing eyes. "The Voice of God…and the Will of God." He nodded to Valencia. "About time you bloody well showed up."

Letting them inside, Malcolm led them to the priest that had taken care of him. "So, you are Malcolm's ride?"

Valencia grinned. "You could say that." She turned to Malcolm. "I suppose you know why we are here, don't you?"

"But of course, girlie…I know all." Malcolm paused. "Well, I don't know all, but it sounds cool."

Carter nodded. "Good to here. We have a plane waiting to take us back, and I'd rather like to be in the air sooner rather than later."

"It might have to be later." Malcolm said as a chaos line flared. "Excuse me." He stated, crouching down.

Instantly, the doors of the church were blown open, Nathan's agents swarming in and firing their weapons. Carter screamed in pain as the elctro-bullets struck him, sending him to his knees. The men aimed once more, Malcolm diving and dragging the priest out of the line of fire, while Valencia merely super-speeded out of the way.

"One down, we have one down!" One of the men called out, approaching Carter while the others targeted on Valencia. "Carter Daniels…"

The man gurgled as Valencia's hand latched onto his throat.

"Hello there. My name is Vally." She turned to the other men, using her other hand to lift up a pew and hurl it at them, knocking them over. "And you are?" The man gurgled. "I don't know how to pronounce that." She said in humor, though her voice like ice. "Do you know who that man is, the one you shot?" She glanced over at her father, his body working overtime to heal his injuries. "That is my dad. I love him, very much. I'm a daddy's girl, really. So, can you guess what the one thing I hate, in all this world, really is?" The man let out a final groan before Valencia crushed his windpipe. "People hurting my daddy." Her entire body began to glow, first pink, then a blood red. She tossed the corpse aside, igniting her hands. "**Next?"**

The agents all paused for a moment, before raising their weapons.

"So be it." Valencia said coldly, **"Behold the Will Of God."** And then she was rushing forward, slamming her fists into the nearest agent. The Men scrambled, but Valencia was just too fast, using her super strength to toss them about like rag dolls. Where Carter was emotion incarnate, Valencia was in complete control, attacking as if it were nothing more than simply an exercise and the agents were training dummies. She was catching them before they could even fire at her, twisting their rifles into pretzels then beating them to death with them. She was God's judgment given mortal form, unleashed on the intruders.

The priest performed the sign of the cross.

"Lord in Heaven…"

Malcolm shook his head. "Nah, mate, she's just one of his helpers." An electro-bullet came inches from the Englishman's head. "Time to move, father."

Valencia moved to one of the men, grabbing him and hurling him through the roof. Crouching, she leapt up, slamming past the ceiling and intercepting the man in the sky, grabbing ahold of him and throwing him back down into the church. She then flew, crushing another man as she landed flawlessly. Two agents moved at her, the woman holding out her hands, pink whammy flames striking them and ripping all their strength and intelligence from them, leaving them a twitch mass of bones and muscles. Turning her head, Vally looked at a group of 4 agents and dive bombed them, fists lashing out like pistons.

Carter groaned, the whammy energy pulsing and flashing as the deep puncture wounds he'd suffered finished healing. Tossing one of the elctro-bullets aside, he sat up, watching as Valencia calmly threw an agent through a stainglass window.

"Vally?" Carter questioned, watching his daughter tear the agents apart. "What the hell happened?"

Valencia paused, blowing a strand of hair from her eyes as she powered down. "Idiots tracked us down…must have been the Blackberry, should have seen that coming."

"Vally!" Carter shouted, one of the agents that had managed to hide leveling his gun at the back of her head. "Watch…"

BANG

Valencia and Carter blinked, the agent twitching as the electro-bullet that stuck in his neck took effect. Malcolm Grant grinned as he lowered the gun.

"I can bloody well keep this, right?"

^&^&^&^

(The Daniels Château)

"DAMN IT!" Lee snarled, throwing the canvas against the wall. "Damn it to hell!"

"Problem?" Ashleigh asked from the doorway, watching her son tear his art studio apart.

"I can't get the picture right." Lee muttered.

Ashleigh looked over at the pedestal that held what he was suppose to be painting.

"Its…a box."

And it was…a simple, white box.

Lee glared at her. "Don't laugh."

Ashleigh smiled. "I never would, baby." She wrapped her arms around him. "What's really the problem?"

"…I…I can't draw. I can't paint. I hit a road block…I set my pencil to the paper, brush to paint…nothing." He closed his eyes. "I've been using all my extra drawings…but I am running out."

"…this is because of Galatea, isn't it?" Lee nodded his head weakly. "She wouldn't want you mourning her like this."

Lee sighed. "I can't help it…I keep thinking about her, of our time together…then nothing." Ashleigh ran her fingers through his hair. "Does it ever go away?"

"…no. It gets better…but it never does."

Lee let his mother hold him for quite some time.

^&^&^&^

"How are you feeling?" Valencia asked, helping Carter up.

"Fine…my nerves are in agony, but that's fading fast." He nodded over at Malcolm, who was happily gathering every weapon he could find on the agents and putting them in his jacket. "Are you sure this is the man we need?"

"Oh yeah." Valencia stated. She looked down at one of the agents. "What do you want to do about this?"

Carter grinned. "We go back and castrate Nathan Petrelli."

"Now hold on there." Malcolm said, hurrying over to them. "I hate the bloody wanker as much as you do, but there are better, more cruel ways to deal with him."

"How's that?" Carter questioned.

Malcolm held up a hand, watching as the chaos lines flashed. "Give me your phone."

^&^&^&^

Joseph stalked towards the holding cells, ready to take his pound of flesh. He had played by Marie's rules, but he was tired of waiting and wanted to deal with this now.

"Hello Biddy." Joseph said as he strolled into her cell. "We need to…"

Several of Marie's guards aimed their weapons at his head.

"Talk."

"Leave, Joseph." Lorenzo said coldly. "now."

"Now…what seems to be the problem?" Joseph asked pleasantly.

"The problem is you, Joseph. And I am removing the problem. Now please, leave."

Joseph tilted his head. "But of course…I merely wanted to talk to Biddy, what whatever makes you happy…"

^&^&^&^

(Building 26)

RING…RING

Nathan frowned, picking up the phone. "Hello?"

"You have a collect call from…" Carter said mockingly.

"Daniels." Nathan muttered, running his fingers through his hair.

"Got it in one." Carter stated. "You just couldn't follow my advice, could you Petrelli?" He chuckled. "Have you been getting the nightmares yet?"

"Make this easy on yourself, Carter. I have more men on the way…you can't beat them all."

"I can just kill enough to make a wall around this church. Worked in 300." Carter answered. "By the way, I'm a speakerphone…say hello, Malcolm."

"Hello, Malcolm." Malcolm Grant joked.

Nathan shut his eyes. "Malcolm…you have to see yourself that you can't win…that all you are doing is putting innocents in danger. I'm trying to make the world a better place…"

"So was Hitler, ya asshole." Malcolm snapped. "I warned you too, Petrelli…now you have to pay the price."

Nathan shook his head. "You can still surrender…I'll tell the next wave of soldiers…"

Valencia laughed. "Oh, Mr. Petrelli…you have bigger things to worry about. Starting in 3…2…1…"

RING…RING

"Keep us on the line…we'll wait." Carter stated.

Annoyed, Nathan picked up the second phone. "What?" he barked.

"Petrelli."

"….Mr. President. Sorry…sorry for my tone, I'm just…"

"Is Carter Daniels on the line?" The President said, cutting Nathan off.

"I…" Nathan stammered.

"It isn't that hard of a question. Is Carter Daniels there…are you speaking with him."

Nathan struggled to come to gripes with this new development. "I have him on the phone…"

"Patch us in, now." The President said coldly. Nathan did as he was told, wondering what the hell as going on now. "Mr. Daniels?"

"Hello, Mr. President. "Carter said calmly. "What may I do for you?"

"On behalf of the United States Government, I would like to apologize for the actions of Mr. Petrelli. Rest assure, you, nor your family and associates, will be bothered by him again."

Nathan's eyes widened. "Sir…Carter Daniels is one of the most wanted men on my list…"

"Not anymore." The President informed him.

Nathan was growing deserapte now. "I don't know what he did, Sir, but he is a menace." His voice grew quieter. "I thought we had this settled with Homeland Security…"

"This is different from that." The President said coolly."

"Sir…as a citizen of this country, he is subject…"

"That is where you are wrong, Mr. Petrelli." The President stated. "As of 5 hours ago, Carter Daniels renounced his citizenship. Furthermore, 10 minutes later he was made officially a citizen of France...more than that, the French Government declared Carter their ambassador of goodwill and commerce to these United States."

Nathan's mind whirled at this revelation. "But…that would mean…"

"That when you sent your men after him, in the eyes of the French Government, you declared war." The President's tone was sharp and deadly. "I just received word from the France that they will allow this one action to slide…but if you are to attack Carter Daniels again, it will be seen as an act of war, and they will not hesitate to return fire."

"Sir…this is a bluff…Daniels is trying to save his own skin…"

"Because its such a terrible thing, not wanting to be drugged and tortured." Carter muttered. "I thought you ran against those ideals, Mr. President."

"I did." The President stated.

"Sir…" Nathan pleaded, "can't we talk to the French Government, explain…"

"They know all about me." Carter interrupted. "My wife entered into an agreement with them several days ago…they know that I have powers, Mr. Petrelli. And they have welcomed me with open arms."

"As have other countries." The President said.

"O…other?"

"Mr. Daniels wife, Madrid Daniels, has dual citizenship: The United States and Spain. She has also renounced us, and Spain recognizes Mr. Daniels and his family as citizens as well. They too have stated that any further attacks on the Daniels family is an attack against them."

"Go mom." Valencia whispered.

"Mr. President, Malcolm Grant here. I was wondering if, perhaps, the Mother Country had contacted her former colonies about little ol' me?"

"They have." Nathan groaned at that news. "Mr. Petrelli…The British government wants to know why you have kept one of their citizens hostage for 6 months."

"I…I…" Nathan watched as everything he worked so hard for began spiraling out of control.

"Let me make this clear, Senator." The President said, tone brokering no rebuttal. "You will call off your agents, you will leave Mr. Daniels and his associates alone, and focus on targets that are within your jurisdiction. If you fail to do so, you will be answering to me. Am I clear?"

"…crystal." Nathan finally ground out.

"Good. Mr. Daniels, I once again apologize."

"I wish I could accept, Mr. President…but these horrible, unwarranted attacks on my family have left me feeling…betrayed." Carter did his best impression of Dr. Smith from Lost in Space. "Oh the pain, the pain of it all…"

"Hamming it up…" Valencia sang.

"I dare say I will not be able to recover…I believe that when I return to Mother France, I will have to reconsider my company's investments in America. If I am treated this way by a Senator…then I simply do not want Morbius INC dealing with the likes of him. And, I guess, that means I will need to talk to others within my social standing about how a CEO is treated in the "Land of the Free"."

"I will be sending the Secretary of State to meet with you when you return, Mr. Daniels…to see what we can do to rectify this situation…what we can give to make up for the Senator's mistakes."

"Thank you sir." Valencia said. "I hope Mr. Petrelli has not casued you further trouble."

Malcolm laughed. "Oh yeah…I'm sure between us and Japan…"

"Japan?" The President asked.

"…he didn't tell you he kidnapped Hiro Nakamura…heir to the Nakamura fortune…the wealthiest CEO in Japan?" Malcolm asked. "Bloody hell…wonder what they will do when they find out…maybe I should send them an e-mail…Petrelli, how do I use your e-mail function on this Blackberry? I want to send all your plans to a few people I know…for shits and giggles."

"And don't forget Mohinder Suresh…a respected professor in India…want us to drop a line to them for you too?"

"Goodbye, Mr. Daniels, Mr. Grant." The President said as the three hung up the phone. "Petrelli…when Patty told me she had this settled, that we would provide you with all your funds, I assumed that meant you were on the up and up. It appears that I will need to investigate her and her motives. Afterwards…you and I are going to have a meeting…to discuss what a junior senator is allowed to do to representatives from other countries."

Nathan slumped down in his chair, realizing that life had just dealt him another blow. "…of course, sir."

^&^&^&^

"We need to move Biddy." Lorenzo stated.

Marie frowned. "Then I am to assume that the fool Joseph made his move? That is what you are saying correct? Then yes, we will need to move her at once. Perhaps if we move her with…" She nodded. "Yes…yes that will work out nicely."

"It still doesn't solve our problem. Joseph is a loose cannon, and he has Gabriella wrapped around his finger. We need to get rid of him, or redirect his focus."

"As strange as it is for me to say, I wish that Carter Daniels would make his next move. He would provide the distraction Joseph needs, and should one of them kill the other, it would work out well for all of us involved."

^&^&^&^

The Hunter watched as Nathan walked up to the big board and began ripping photos down.

"I miss something?" He asked.

Nathan turned, holding up a picture of Carter. "Orders of the President…Carter Daniels is off the list…he and his family are to be left alone." He paused, looking at The Hunter. "Claire is his half sister…that means even if she does do something…we attack her, we attack him. And the President just gave Carter Daniels carte blanche

^&^&^&^

"Daddy!" Vally squealed, rushing up and leaping into her father's arms. "Missed you!"

"Missed you to, Princess." Carter said, kissing her. "Did you and mommy have fun?"

Vally grinned. "We went to the mall, the…uh…great American bass time."

"Past time." Madrid corrected. She glanced over at the future version of her daughter. "Did everything…"

"I had to touch Nathan Petrelli." Valencia stated.

Derek walked up to her, wrapping his arms around her tight. "Poor baby."

Sarah nodded. "Ew…that's like…diving into garbage."

"I suppose you'll be needing some answers, Mr. Grant?" Vic said.

Malcolm Grant stared off into space. "Nope, I'm good." He turned to the group. "Now, lets go."

Helena nodded. "Yes…we can grab Biddy…"

"No." Malcolm said, lines flashing. "Biddy is better off where she is…we are going someplace else."

"Huh?" All of them asked.

Malcolm pointed a fnger at them. "I am all for saying the girlie, mate, but not without a price. At the moment, the chaos lines say her kidnappers are actually helping her better than we can, so we can spare a day and make a road trip." He grinned. "I've been gone 6 months, only one thing I want: I want my girl back, and I want her now."


	64. Cold Wars

"So wait, Diego is an allegory for bigotry?"

Gabriel shook his head. "No dad, Diego represents the false belief that joy and honor can only be found by traveling to other countries instead of working in your own back yard to solve the problems that affect you on a daily basis."

Valencia nodded. "Dora represents all the negative Spanish stereotypes, wrapped up in a fake pro-spanish covering. I mean, look at it: This is a little girl that is allowed to wander around without parental supervision, her parents not caring about her whereabouts. She is constantly robbed, she can only have meaningful relationships with a monkey, and to celebrate she sings. When is the last time I danced with a monkey and sang?"

Vally grinned. "That's what I've been trying to tell him!"

Carter groaned. "I think you are taking this too seriously…"

Madrid stroked her chin. "Does make sense…"

"MADRID!" Carter snapped.

"I like the Powerpuff girls." Everyone stared at Sarah. "…just saying…"

Vic leaned over towards Malcolm. "Believe or not, they are actually behaving themselves."

"I believe it, mate." Malcolm stated. "I can see the lines connectin' them all…they love each other very much."

Helena smiled. "My son has that way with people…especially after he gained his powers. As a boy, he was always shy, skittish. But I think, being able to control emotions…its allowed him to trust others."

"And he has a habit of picking up strays." Vic stated. Helena glared at him. "Sorry Malcolm…I'm just being senile…to be expecting, being over 300 years old and all."

Malcolm nodded to himself. "None taken. I do find your son interesting though…"

"I'm sorry, I like Jamie, but Ted Kord will always be the true Blue Beetle." Carter argued.

"What about Dan Garret?" Derek asked.

"…shut up."

"…the chaos lines, they tell me about his life…they show me the events that shaped him. Good and bad, like everyone else, but more than anyone, it amazes me just how much his powers altered his fate. And I don't mean just getting the powers…its what he can do. Any other power, like fire or water control…and his life would be completely different."

"Interesting how random things can alter fate." Vic said. "A chance meeting with Helena forced me to finally settle down."

"IF there is one thing I've learned in this life, mate…Nothing is random …nothing."

^&^&^&^

(Our Lady of Faith Private School-Manchester, England)

(16 years ago)

"Malcolm! Malcolm!"

Malcolm Grant forced himself not to giggle as the nuns searched for him. He knew he would get smacked real good if he let them catch him now…he'd been on the receiving end of those beatings far too many times. No, Malcolm knew how to play the game, even at the tender age of 10, and he played them well.

He was in his favorite hiding spot, one no one but him knew about. In the middle of the school's enclosed garden, there was a great statue of Christ on the cross, placed upon a large wooden base. The base, unbeknownst to all, had a small hollow spot, big enough for a boy and a cooler of soda to hide and take a break from memorizing the names of all the sons of Adam.

He pulled this stunt once a month, sometimes less often, sometimes more. He knew exactly how to do it without getting into trouble. Everything played out rather easily, as long as he stayed on track: Malcolm would sneak away during breakfast, pry away one of the boards and pour some ice on the drinks he hid there. Then, he would read his lessons in the base, waiting for the soda to get cold, drink some, then appear again, most times in the lunch line. The nuns would question him, but he would know all the answers to what had happened in class.

He enjoyed learning, just not by there hand.

And the soda tasted so much sweeter when he was doing something so bad.

The nuns were walking away now, more active than normal. Probably feeling they needed to put on a show. He was a good student, and other than disappearing, there was nothing they could nail him on.

Settling back to enjoy his drink, Malcolm found himself interrupted once more, only this time by soft whimpers. Setting the lesson plan down, he crawled forward, peaking through a tiny hole in the wood.

There, kneeling before the statue of Christ, was a young girl, 7 or 8 at most, body shaking as she cried. Malcolm noticed at once that she wasn't like most of the girls at the school. Her hair wasn't a dull brown, but the color of caramel. And when she did lift up her face, though red and watery, her eyes were a shiny blue, as if made of metal.

Crawling out of his hiding spot, not knowing why he was doing so, Malcolm made his way around the statue, sitting down next to the girl.

"Why are you crying?"

The girl sniffed, startled. "Who…who…" she hiccupped, "..are you?"

"I'm Malcolm…what's your name?"

"Eleanor…" The girl whispered, taking in shaky breaths.

"What's wrong?" He asked, with the bluntness only a child could posses.

The girl sniffed. "My mommy called." She whispered.

"…and you don't like your mommy?" Malcolm asked, confused.

The little girl shook her head. "no…she…she said daddy…she said daddy went away." She closed her eyes. "She said my daddy went to go live with God." She looked up at the statue. "I…I came here, asking Mr. Jesus if he could send my daddy back…if daddy could live with me instead." The little girl's face screwed up. "He ignored me!" She broke down, sobbing again.

Malcolm bit his lip, unsure what to do. He was use to skinned knees and bullies, not crying girls. In fact, this was the longest time he'd spent with a girl. Finally, he scooted over to his hiding spot and pulled out a soda, bringing it over. "Thirsty?" He ventured.

Eleanor shook her head, but her raw throat demanded the drink, so she quickly snatched it and chugged it down, coughing after a moment. Malcolm reached over, rubbing her back as he did so.

"I…I need my daddy." She whispered. "Who will protect me? Who will chase the monsters away and stop the bad things from getting me?"

Malcolm considered this, his mind rather quickly arriving at a solution. "I will."

"Huh?" Eleanor said, confused.

Malcolm grinned, happy with the idea. "Yeah." He kneels down before the statue. "Dear Lord…"

Eleanor shook her head, sadness forgotten for a moment. "No no…you have to call him Mr. Jesus. It's polite."

Malcolm rolled his eyes. "Ok, ok…Mr. Jesus…could you please ask Eleanor's daddy if it's ok for me to take care of her? If he has a problem, let me know." The two waited for a moment. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Malcolm!" One of the nuns shouted, finding them. "There you are…no weaseling out of this one, young man…you will have a load of detention for this." She looked down at Eleanor. "And you…"

"It's my fault, Sister Mary." Malcolm said. "Blame me. Ellie did nothing wrong."

The nun glared at him for a moment. "Very well then…Eleanor, go back to class…Malcolm, we are seeing the headmaster."

Malcolm smiled at Eleanor as he was dragged off.

^&^&^&^

(Present Day- London)

Vally's face screwed up. "This place smells funny."

"It's called English Spirit, bite size." Malcolm stated. He turned to Valencia, or "Regular Size" as he'd coined, leading to the bite size, or 'bit' nickname. "Ain't that right?"

"More like English Spirits." Valencia complained. "Damn super-smell…why did I give myself that one?"

"How are we going to do this?" Vic asked. "I mean…do you even know where to look?"

Malcolm nodded. "Yeah, know where to look. Can't have all of us going, though. How about the future folks and ma and pa kettle stay behind. Me, the Metatron, the bit and the starlet will head over and grab my girl."

"Ma and pa kettle?" Helena questioned.

"Sounds good to me." Sarah said. "I'm getting a deep whiff of that English Spirit right now…ew."

Malcolm chuckled. "Come on kids…time to walk down memory lane."

^&^&^&^

(12 years earlier)

"Why did you do it, Malcolm?" Eleanor asked, dabbing his brow. The two of them sat on a bench near the Christ statue, no one around as the 12 year old dabbed at the cut on Malcolm's forehead.

"He touched your bum, Ellie." Malcolm said, annoyed. "OW!"

"Sorry." Eleanor said, carefully pulling the cloth away. "He didn't mean too."

"He did too." The 14 year old complained. "He was braggin' to all his friends, and I wasn't gonna stand for it."

Eleanor huffed. "I can take care of myself…took care of you! If I hadn't called for help, those boys would have killed you!"

"Would not." Malcolm complained. "And don't do that again! I don't need your help!"

Eleanor crossed her arms. "I'm not a baby, Malcolm! I can take care of myself!"

"It's my job to keep you safe!" Malcolm shouted, frustrated. He clutched his ribs, knowing a few were probably cracked.

Eleanor glared at him. "And see where that got you?" She scoffed. "This is because of that silly promise, isn't it?" She looked at the Christ statue. "Well, you don't have to do it anymore. Jesus Christ, please tell my father that Malcolm no longer needs to protect me."

Malcolm grit his teeth. "I will always protect you!"

"And why is that? You don't need to…God doesn't need to…"

"Because I…I…I bloody well like you!" Malcolm snapped, lunging forward and giving her a quick kiss on the check.

Both of them blinked, startled.

"Uh…I…I'm gonna go to the nurse…" Malcolm stammered.

"And…and I need too…"

Both of them ran.

^&^&^&^

"Maybe you should take the cap off." Madrid whispered.

Malcolm raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"That wool cap…maybe a good idea to get rid of it?"

The Englishman frowned as they approached the door of Eleanor's apartment. "Love, the last thing I want my girl to see is my shaved head, understand?"

"I'm just saying, it makes you look like a thief…doesn't help 3 of us are wearing leather."

Carter heft Vally up. "But the toddler does downplay that."

Malcolm scoffed. "It will be fine." He knocked on the door. "Love, open up."

The door swung open after a moment…revealing a woman in her 80s.

"She's…older than I expected." Carter commented.

"AAAA!" The woman screamed, pulling a gun from the table that stood next to the door. "Get away, crock!"

"I told you!" Madrid complained.

"Whoa…hold on there duchess!" Malcolm cried out. "I ain't no thief…just lookin' for someone that lives here."

"Only I live here! Now get away from here, you hooligan!"

"What's a hooligan?" Vally asked.

"He use to wrestle…or he escaped a Nazi camp." Carter stated.

Malcolm kept his hands up. "I'm looking for Eleanor Mardest! She lives here!"

The old woman frowned. "El…you must mean the girl that lived here before. She left months ago."

"m…months?" Malcolm stammered.

"Left in a hurry, from what I hear. Don't rightly care, its my apartment now…now, if you leave me be, I'm trying to watch Are You Being Served?."

The door was slammed in their faces.

"…I'm…I'm so sorry Malcolm." Madrid said.

"We can go back to France, have Kelly look…"

Malcolm shook his head. "No…no, not yet." He frowned. "Was stupid to come here…only one place she would be…come on."

^&^&^&^

(9 Years Ago)

"Malcolm…" Eleanor moaned. "Wait…"

Malcolm sucked on her collar bone, letting his tongue run along her skin. They currently laid on the grass, the stars shining above them as they rolled about the garden.

"Waitting…is the last thing…on my mind…" Malcolm stated.

Eleanor moaned as his hand came up to cup her breast. "But…in front of Jesus?"

Malcolm grinned, looking at the statue. "You don't mind watchin', do ya mate?" He waited. "I'll take that as a no." He pulled open Eleanor's top, licking his way down towards her bra.

"Malcolm…oh God…"

Malcolm paused. "I said he could watch, not get involved!"

Eleanor slapped him. "Less talking."

Malcolm chuckled.

^&^&^&^

"Where are we?" Carter asked, looking at the building.

"The place that matters most to me in the world." Malcolm said softly. "It's where Eleanor will be…I know it."

"How do you know?" Madrid asked, looking at the sign that read "Our Lady of Faith". "Did the chaos lines tell you?"

"I'm ignoring them, for once." He smiled. "No…I know it in my gut…Ellie has to be here."

^&^&^&^

(8 Years Ago)

Life runs in circles.

People call it déjà vu. The Matrix called it a glitch. Some called it fate. Others just blind luck.

For Malcolm Grant, he didn't know which it was.

All he knew was, once again, he was watching the woman he loved crying at the feet of their Lord.

"Ellie…what's wrong, love?"

Eleanor sniffed, her long caramel hair, normally hanging free, done up in a pony tail, her makeup smeared. "He's doing it again."

"Who is?" Malcolm asked, concerned.

"Jesus…he's taking people from me again."

Malcolm sighed. "I take it you saw the letter?"

Eleanor nodded. "Oxford, Malcolm…you promised you would stay close!"

"And I will, Ellie, I will. I only applied for my mum, she wanted me to go there so badly, since my da did and his da before him." He kneeled down. "I'm still gonan stay here, go to the local college…"

"NO!" Eleanor shouted, startling her boyfriend. "I will not be the reason you disappoint your mother, Malcolm." She sniffed back tears. "You need to do this…you need too." She closed her eyes. "I'm…just going to have to miss you."

Malcolm considered this for a minute, before finally coming to a conclusion. "Ellie…you don't have to miss me."

"…what?"

Malcolm smiled. "Listen…when I'm gone, you just come here, to this spot, and you pray to the Lord…and he'll let me know you need me and I will come."

Eleanor frowned. "I could just call you…"

"No…" Malcolm said. "This…this is more special. It connects us, Ellie…that way, no matter what, you'll have a place to go when you need me, a place I can come and know you'll be."

Eleanor nodded. "I guess…I could study out here…need better grades if I'm gonna go to Oxford too."

Malcolm smiled. "That's my girl."

^&^&^&^

(Present Day-5 hours later)

Vally looked up at Malcolm, resting her hands on his knee. "I'm sorry Uncle Malcolm."

Malcolm smiled weakly. "I'm sorry too."

Carter sighed. "We can still get Kelly…"

"No." Malcolm said softly. "no." He lowered his head. "She moved on…if she ain't here, she moved on. Better for her to go on with her life, not get dragged into my insanity…better for her to live how I always wanted us to live…even if I'm not apart of it."

Madrid wiped her eyes. "Malcolm…she must still care about you…"

"I'm sure she does…in her own way." Malcolm whispered. "But…I'd rather her live on in my memory as I knew her, as I loved her, than see her eyes not the way I want them, with the love in them." He smiled weakly, lifting Vally up, the little girl sniffing as she hugged him tight, tears trailing down her face. "Maybe…when this is all over, when I've helped you all fix your problems, maybe then I will look for her, let her know I'm ok…but give her the time to get on with her life, without me popping up just as she's finishing her mourning."

Carter nodded. "Ok Malcolm…if that's what you want." The group began to walk away, the sound of children laughing in the school halls echoing about them. "Why here, Malcolm?"

Malcolm smiled, shifting Vally. "It was our spot…the place where all came to be." He sighed. "Was a fool's hope, really…"

"But it was hope." Carter said, wrapping his arm around a now crying Madrid, helping her walk towards the door. "And we need hope, Malcolm."

"I suppose we do…even a fool…" Malcolm whispered, blinking away tears.

^&^&^&^

"…some strangers out there, don't trust the look of them. Especially the one in the black cap." A nun said from the other end of the garden, having just opened the door that led from one wing of the school to the special place. "Are you sure you want to be out here by yourself , Miss Mardest."

"I'm sure." The other woman said. "I need too…for him."

^&^&^&^

Malcolm froze.

"Ellie?" He said.

^&^&^&^

The woman stood still, slowly taking in the rough looking man on the other side of the garden, watching him pass a small child off to a tan woman. He turned, yanking the wool cap off, his bald head, even covered in the light fuzz of regrowing hair, shining in the light.

"Malcolm?" She whispered, realizing that all those months of praying…had not been in vain.

Her knees shook, her legs turned to jelly, and she suddenly found herself on the ground.

^&^&^&^

Malcolm raced forward, focused on the woman before him, leaping over a hedge and twisting away from a stone bench. His foot caught a tangled bush, and he fell face first, dirt smeared along his face. Still, he didn't care, not even wasting time to stand up, Instead he began to drag himself, his fingers digging into the cool wet earth as he pulled himself towards the woman.

"Ellie!"

^&^&^&^

Eleanor shoved the hand of the nun away, crawling on her hands and knees towards the rough looking man. She didn't care if she looked like a klutz, or if the grass stained her faded jeans. All that mattered was getting to him.

"Malcolm!"

^&^&^&^

Malcolm forced himself not to blink as he reached the statue of Christ.

"ELLIE!"

^&^&^&^

Eleanor's heart pounded in her chest as she lunged at him.

"MALCOLM!"

^&^&^&^

"You're here!

"You came!"

"You waited for me!"

"I prayed every day!"

"I sorry, I was kidnapped…"

"I moved here, to be close…"

"It doesn't matter"/"I don't care"

"I missed you!"/"So much!"

"I knew"/"You would come!"

"I love you!"/I love you!"

^&^&^&^

And under the statue of Christ, Malcolm and Eleanor reunited with a kiss.

And all was right in the world.


	65. Exposed

(London)

"Mate…you are about to bloody well face the worst foe you've ever encountered."

The Daniels family all stared at Malcolm, who had Ellie firmly placed on his lap, wondering what the hell he was talking about.

"We are about to be attacked by the worst foe imaginable."

"Lawyers?" Madrid ventured.

"Fangirls?" Carter asked.

"Dora?" Vally squeaked in fear.

"Paparazzi." Malcolm explained as the limo pulled up to the private plane Carter owned. The vehicle was promptly swarmed by photographers and reporters, banging on the windows.

"I'm an actress." Madrid said. "Let me handle this." She opened the sun roof and poked her head out. "I will answer a few questions if you promise to leave."

"…show us your boobs!"

Madrid's eyes widened as she ducked back down. "Holy…"

"British, love." Malcolm said with a smirk. "You have to handle it the right way." Malcolm stood up through the sunroof. "Get away from here, ya daft wankers, or I'll beat ya to death!"

"…show us your boobs!"

Malcolm sat back down. "Maybe we can wait it out?"

"Oh, for the love of God!" Ellie snapped, standing up. "Listen you (censored) (censored) (censored) (censored)! Move, or I'll (censored) (censored) scrotum (censored) (censored) (censored) with a spoon, then I'll (censored) (censored) (censored) (censored) (censored) (censored) up Elton Johns arse!"

"…ok…sorry." The reporters all murmured, hurrying away.

"Wow." Carter whispered.

"Wow." Madrid echoed.

"Daddy, what's a scrotum?" Vally asked.

"…uh…"

Malcolm grinned, resting his cheek against the back of his hand. "I bloody well love that woman."

"Run away, you limp (censored) (censored) (censored)!"

^&^&^&^

(Building 26)

"Sir."

Nathan shook his head, startled from his thoughts. He had been obsessing over what Carter had done to him, wondering what exactly the young man could have put in his head, as he claimed.

He had been spending his free time researching Carter Daniels and his powers, trying to deduce what exactly the man could have done and how to fix it.

The research wasn't promising.

Carter Daniels, according to files Nathan had seized from the Company, had the ability to manipulate people's brains via the chemicals that lay within one's head. At first, this had only allowed him to control emotions, but now Carter could cause insanity, sense if someone was telling the truth, and some feared even alter thoughts completely.

And considering that nothing in the file spoke of the strength and speed Carter had shown…Nathan was worried what else Carter might hold that no one knew about.

"What can I do for you, Richardson?" Nathan asked wearily.

"We've brought in several more enhanced humans…we thought you might like to see them."

Nathan nodded. "Of course." Standing up, Nathan followed Richardson towards the makeshift prison room the Department had provided him. 'Not the prison I wanted, but it will work for now…'

"In here sir." Richardson said, opening the door.

"What exactly can they…" Nathan froze.

Before him, two small boys were huddled in a corner, their clothing ripped and blood covering their faces. They stared up at him, faces filled with fear.

"Dad?"

^&^&^&^

"Really, what's a scrotum?" Vally asked again.

Vic raised an eyebrow as Carter lifted Vally into her seat. "Son, must you corrupt her so soon?"

"She has Tina as an aunt and Lee for an uncle." Carter muttered. "She's already corrupt."

Vally nodded happily. "People who hate lesbians secretly want to be one. Especially the guys." She quoted.

Sarah did a spit take.

"I'm going to kill Tina." Madrid muttered.

"Get in line." Helena said, leaning down to kiss Vally on the forehead. "Why don't we keep that to ourselves, ok?"

Vally nodded. "Ok Grandma."

"Hello Ellie." Derek said politely, smiling slightly. "Good to see you."

"Have we met?" Ellie asked.

"We will soon."

"Time travelers, love." Malcolm whispered. "Gets bloody well confusing." The chaos lines flashed. "Not that my life hasn't been unconfusing…"

^&^&^&^

"Simon! Monty!" Nathan cried, running to his sons, wanting nothing more than to hold them and comfort them. It had been months since he'd seen the two boys, months since Heidi had forced him to give up his visitation rights…and to see them like this now…

The two boys shrank back in fear, Monty whimpering as Simon held his brother close.

"Boys…what…"

"Stay away!" Simon screamed.

"Please…don't hurt us…" Monty whimpered.

Nathan shook his head. "Simon…Monty…I'd never hurt you…"

Simon looked up at him. "Then why did your men take us…why did they hurt mommy?"

Nathan turned to Richardson. "What do they mean…why are they here?"

Richardson shrugged. "They are on the list, sir. They exhibited powers…"

"That doesn't matter! Those are my children, and they are to be left alone."

"Even if we wanted to, we can't, sir. They have no place else to go."

Nathan frowned. "What about Heidi…" Monty whimpered again. "They said you hurt her…what…"

"She was hiding them, sir, and tried to attack us when we snatch the boys…we did what needed to be done."

Nathan felt the world spinning. "What…what did you…did you kill her? Did you?"

Monty began to cry.

"We did what needed to be done." Richardson stated once more.

"ARRRRRGGGG!" Simon shouted, black lightning crackling on his fingers as he leapt towards his mother's killer, electrocuting him to death.

"Simon, no!" Nathan screamed.

Agents suddenly filled the room from out of nowhere, their weapons raised. "We have a hostile, shoot him!"

"NO!" Nathan screamed as he watched the men open fire on his son. Monty barely had time to let out a cry as he too was gunned down. "NOOOO!" Nathan cried out in terror.

"Different when its your kid?"

Nathan turned, staring at the dark form of Carter Daniels.

"Monster." Monty whispered as he took his last breath.

And with that, Nathan woke up.

"Sir? Are you ok?" Richardson asked.

"Fine...just...fine" Nathan panted.

^&^&^&^

"…and that is what a scrotum is." Valencia said as they got off the plane.

"Ew." Vally muttered, thought she did give her older self a grin.

"I changed my mind, I'm killing Valencia, the big one, instead of Tina." Madrid muttered.

"Welcome back, sir." Carter's chauffeur said. "I trust your trip went well?"

"Yes it did." Carter grinned. "I picked Vally up some British people to play with. I'm teaching them to sit on command."

The Frenchman chuckled. "I imagine it will take quite some time to do that."

"Can I kill the frog eater?" Malcolm snarled.

"Yes." Ellie said.

The chauffeur sniffed. "I suppose you will have Mr. Daniels do it for you…just as you British always have the Americans do your dirty work."

"Better that then surrender!"

"Queen kissing fruit!"

"Prissy fairy!"

"Carter…" Madrid warned. "I don't want blood on my new shirt…"

"Ok, ok." Carter said, waving his hand dismissively. "Come on, everyone stop this fighting, I want to get back so Hank can yell at me."

^&^&^&^

"I want him found now." Nathan told the agents. He had hand selected these men and women, ones he knew loyal only to him. Not Noah Bennet, not the Hunter…him. Only these 4 would he trust. "I want Carter Daniels brought him, I don't care how injured, but I want him alive and able to use his powers…do you understand?"

"Yes sir!" All four said as one.

"Secondly…I want you to select some guards to protect my boys…in case something should happen."

The lead agent nodded. "Yes sir."

"Thank you Mr. Harper."

"Please…call me Terrence." The man said.

Nathan smiled, giving them a nod before leaving. The instant he was gone, Terrence pulled out his phone.

"Angela?" Terrence said softly. "Nathan just assigned us to bring Carter in."

Angela's tone was one of amusement. "Then find him, Terrence. But when you find your dear half brother…instead of turning him in…contact me." Angela paused. "Yes…I do believe it is time Mr. Daniels and I had a long talk about…common goals."

^&^&^&^

"Did you have funny playing in America with Nathan Petrelli?" Hank demanded as soon as the group entered the chateau."

Carter glanced at his family. "Pay up." Gabriel and Sarah muttered as they handed their cash over to Carter. "Hey…this is future money!"

"Never said it couldn't be, Grandpa." Sarah mocked.

"Sonuvabitch." Carter muttered.

"Sonuvabitch! Sonuvabitch!" Vally chanted.

Gabriel placed his hand to his chest. "That's no way to talk about mom!"

"Carter!" Madrid snarled. "Did you just call me a bitch!?"

"I did not!"

"Yes he did." Gabriel pointed out.

"Shut up, Baby Sylar!" Valencia snapped, coming to the aid of her dad.

Vic shook his head. "Remind me why we wanted kids?" Helana shrugged.

"What the hell is going on?" Renee asked, Charlie Raegan following her as the rest of Carter's inner circle entered the main hall.

"Are Hank and Carter going to fight?" Kelly asked. "Can we bet on it?"

"Sonuvabitch! Sonuvabitch!" Vally sang, even as Carter and Madrid tried to quiet her.

"Looks like Madrid and Carter are going to fight." Linda said, wheeling towards them. It had been nearly two months since she'd been paralyzed, and still the former professor couldn't get use to her stupid wheelchair. Valencia had been helping, but it was going much, much to slow for her tastes.

"I am trying to find the mother of my child, and you are off threatening politicians?!?"

"Who told you about that?" Carter asked innocently.

"I have my sources." Hank said.

"Sonuvabitch! Sonuvabitch!"

"We got a phone call from Nathan." Lee said happily. "Something about nightmares and demanding you undo it."

"You are an evil man." Helena stated. "I raised you so well!"

"That's not the point!" Hank shouted. "Biddy is gone…"

BANG!

Everyone turned, going for the weapons, as Malcolm stood there, gun pointed in the air.

"Now that I have your attention…" He said calmly, taking a step forward. "I'm Malcolm Grant, this is Ellie, it is nice to meet you crazy Americans."

"Hey!" Madrid called out.

"And Hispanic people." Malcolm corrected. "Now then, I believe I was rescued from the insanity that is our mother country's former colonies to help you out." ANd glanced at Ellie. "And my girlie here was brought along because I wanted someone to talk to."

"Is that all?" Ellie said with a smirk.

"Not infront of the bit, luv." Malcolm whispered. He turned back to the group. "Now then, I spent that wonderful plane ride to this horrid little country filled with limp wrested surrender monkeys examining the chaos lines, and they told me exactly what to do." He began to pace. "We divide into four groups. One will remain here, to monitor the others. One will be going after Lord Williams' heir, the second team will be going to India, the third a small village in Switzerland…"

Hank held up a hand. "What does this have to do with you telling me where Biddy is?"

"Nothing." Malcolm admitted. "I have no clue where she is."

Carter licked his lips as Hank slowly turned to stare at him. "Uh…funny guy, Malcolm…now, tell us…"

"I don't have a clue." Malcolm stated. "I'm not a psychic, and I can't paint the future. I only know what the chaos lines tell me."

"Then what good are you?" Hank snarled.

Malcolm glared at him. "I don't know where she bloody well is. But I do know that our actions will lead us to the answer. A member of The Alliance knows where Marie Delpine is, so I can tell you where to find them…and they will lead us to your girlie, ok mate?"

"Oh…" Hank said.

"Yes, oh." Malcolm said with a snark. "More than that, these trips will provide you with what you need to secure her."

"What do you mean?" Kelly asked.

Malcolm chuckled. "I've seen the futures that could be, and do you know in how many of them you people survive an attack on Marie? None." He shook his head. "You wanted a war, Mr. Daniels, but you lack the key item. That's where the Alliance comes in. You need votes, a lot of them."

"Votes…for what?" Madrid questioned.

"To form your army to march against the 7 Horns." Malcolm stated coldly. "Mr. Daniels…if you want this to end…you must seize full control of the Alliance and have them provide the soldiers you need to declare war on Marie Delpine."

The group stood in shocked silence, the impact of what Malcolm was stating would happen chilling them to the bone. None of them had ever considered they would actually fight a war against Marie, that they would command soldiers and fight bloody battles.

"...sonuvabitch." Vally whispered.


	66. Shades of Gray

"This stinks." Vally said, arms crossed and face screwed up in a pout. Helena sat beside her, combing the little girl's dark locks.

"Come on, its not that bad." Helena told her granddaughter. "Grandpa Vic and I are gonna take you to the park, and then the zoo…"

"Want daddy." Vally said stubbornly. She looked up at her grandmother. "Daddy needs me! I'm strongest there is! Best of best!"

"He still worries about you, princess, even if you are the powerful being on the planet." Vic stated as he entered the living room. "He can't do what needs to be done if he is worried about you…and he would be worried if you were there."

Vally scrunched down further. "Sonuvbitch."

"Hey hey hey!" Helena said, wagging her finger. "You want soap in that mouth."

"…no." Vally murmured.

"Then no more potty talk. Proper ladies don't talk like that."

"Bloody right!" Ellie called out. "Is (censored) in proper!"

Vic glared at the woman. "Great, a british version of Tina. I am so happy right now, can you tell?"

"Are ya being sarcastic?" Ellie asked.

"nooooooooo." Vic stated.

"…is he?" Vally asked Helena.

"Yes, sweetie. Grandpa Vic is being a mean super old man. Bad Grandpa Vic, no pudding for you."

"Did someone mention pudding?" Malcolm asked as he entered the room. "…you know, if this were a sitcom, I'd be getting applause right now."

"No…you wouldn't." Vic stated. "Ow!" He shouted, Helena smacking his across the head.

"Come on Vally, the zoo awaits. We can take pictures of the monkeys and use them to taunt Hank for being a creationist." Helena stated.

"I make fun of the biritsh and get hit. You mock Catholics and our granddaughter laughs. God hates me."

"That's because he's bloody British, ya wanker!" Ellie called out as the 3 left.

"You seem to be adapting well, luv." Malcolm said, sitting down on the couch. "Granted though, I'm barely managing to adapt myself."

"Hard to believe you've only known these people a day longer than I have."

"In person, ya. But thanks to the bloody chaos lines…"

"You mind explaining the chaos lines to me? I'm not quite sure what the (censored) they are about." She adjusted the wife beater she was wearing, not really caring if the straps of her bra were exposed. When the two of them had united, they had realized it might be best if they changed their looks, considering that they couldn't trust Nathan Petrelli or any other megalomaniac to try and kidnap Malcolm again. Thus, Malcolm was staying with his Colin Farrell/Bullseye outfit he picked up at the church, while Ellie had done away with the proper business casual wear she normally wore. Instead, she had styled herself after the British hip hop underground: baggy clothes, hair done up in a simple ponytail that hung off the right side of hr head, and minimal makeup. Paired with Malcolm's rumbler's outfit, the two looked like they had stepped out of one of the seedier neighborhoods in London…perfect for two private school kids that had an apartment in the upper middle class district.

"Imagine these strings, attached to every thing in the world. Everything. You, me, the couch, the tv…everything. Some are thick as ship cord, most are so thin I can't see them till they flare up. They show me what actions brought the objects to be where they are, as well as show me all the different possibilities that could come about."

"…sounds bloody confusing."

"It is." Malcolm whispered, Ellie running her fingers along the fuzz that he currently called hair. "When I was captured, I got to look at everything…I saw what needed to happen to have the world turn out for the best…and for me to get back to you. And that meant helpin' these yanks."

"So…you know a lot aobut them?"

"Oh yeah." He stated. "Take Kelly Raegan. Less than a year ago, she was a college student, editor of a school newspaper. Then her friend gains powers, and she's on a road trip to save the world. Discovers that she is a human GPS, can focus on the world and know where everything is located. She gets herself a girlie, who's father was a villain that wanted to blow up bloody New York, and then she finds out her parents not only have powers, her mother was a jewel thief who worked with the bloody 7 Horns…amazing the girl isn't in a corner babbling to herself."

^&^&^&^

(India)

"Got a lock on anyone, sweetie?" Tina asked as their cab slowly made its way along the busy street. All around them, mechanists peddled fruits and cheap souvenirs that were made to look like real Indian trading items.

Kelly's eyes remained white as she continued to search the area. "An opium den is 3 blocks to the west of us. A police station is 4 to the east. North there is a McDonalds, and a few blocks from that…another McDonalds. None of which sell burgars."

Renee frowned. "And I suddenly remember why I hate India."

"You've been here before?" Tina asked.

Renee smirked "Ask the cops if they ever found the Cresant Diamond sometime…that one bought our first house."

"I miss that house." Charlie said softly. "Had a great backyard."

"…you are a police chief, right?" Tina asked.

"I'm a crooked one…well, atleast where Renee comes in. I can put a million men in jail, but I'll help her rob a nursing home blind if she asks me too."

Renee snuggled up to her husband. "mmm…maybe later." She turned to Tina. "So, who is this Tully guy again?"

"Lord Tully, the great nephew of Lord William. Lord William was Vic's closest ally, which is probably why Merrick had him murdered. If we want the Alliance to agree to wage war on Marie, we need Lord Tully's vote. Unfortunately, Lord Tully has decided he prefers spending all his time in India."

"Lord? That means rich, right?" Renee asked, dollar signs practically popping up in her eyes.

"So…how will we tell who this Lord Tully is, huh?"

"More wine!" A cultured voice called out. The group pushed their way through the crowd to see a morbidly obese man, roughly 35 to 40 years old, seated on a large bench, a table pushed up to his gut, Indian waiters running about to supply him with what he wanted.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Lord Tubby…pun intended."

^&^&^&^

Ellie frowned. "What's the deal, by the way, with that Boston guy? I made a joke about him owing me tea and he gave me the cold shoulder."

"His name is Lee Malion. He can make 2 dimensional drawin come to life as a 3d object. He had created this woman, Galatea, to be his sidekick when he fancied himself a supervillian, which apparently runs in his family considering his mum was Marie's right hand girl and he was related to Merrick Delpine."

"Wait…Lee and Hank are cousins?"

"Pretty much." Malcolm stated. "You'd be surprised how many people are related to these people. I swear, Carter's real dad was a whore." He began to tick off the relatives. "His mother is Meredith Gordon, making him Claire Bennet's half brother. He's also Eden McCain's half brother, as well as Terrence Harper's. He is the great grandson or something like that of Kensei the Sword Saint, his grandmother's sister is the adopted grandmother of Sylar…seriously, Edward Ellis was a whore."

"…I have no idea who any of those people are."

"Point taken. Lee is, as you put it, "having a deal" because a few months back, everyone here lost their powers, which caused his girlie to revert back to her paper form, and he can't remake her as she wouldn't be the woman he had first met."

"That's…horrible."

"Yeah…he's been driven to kill the 7 Horns ever since."

^&^&^&^

(Boston)

"Well…this is a blast from the past." Ashleigh said, looking up at the skyscrapers that towered over her. "Its been…way too long."

Lee nodded. "Feel the same way, mom." He paused. "I just wish Hank weren't begging for a beating."

Hank frowned, tugging on his Yankee cap. "I think you are making to much of this…" He blinked when a passing old woman spat at him. "Vally, please kill her."

Valencia glared at him. "I am 45 years old, I run the Alliance, and I am the most powerful being on the planet. I am not a child, nor your lap dog."

"I'll do it."Gabriel said, purple flames forming a gun in his hand.

"Stop that!" Ashleigh snapped. "You want us arrested?" Gabriel grumbled, reabsorbing the gun. "I thought you were here to make sure Nathan didn't find us…now you are threatening to shoot innocent people?"

"She isn't innocent!" Hank shouted. "She spit at me."

Valencia rolled her eyes. "You know, I told Derek you guys would not be different…that you'd be like the sane, rational people we know in our time…looks like I owe him a coke."

"You mean you owe him a bl-"

"Finish that and die, Baby Sylar." Valencia snapped.

Ashleigh glanced over at Lee, who remained stone-faced dispite the humor that came from Carter's future-children. "What's the matter?'

"She was born here." Lee whispered. "I first drew her in this city."

Ashleigh placed a hand on her son's shoulder. "Lee…she wouldn't want you to grieve, to be obsessed with your past. She wanted you to move on…"

"I have no past, no future. All that matters is killing the 7 Horns." He said coldly.

Ashleigh didn't say another word as they entered an apartment complex. Hank looked over the directory, finding the last name they were looking for.

"Williamson, apartment 7G." He stated.

Lee frowned. "I knew a Williamson, once."

"Wouldn't it be freaky if it were the same guy?" Gabriel asked.

"What?" Valencia questioned.

"I'm just saying, if this guy, this Alliance member, was the same man that Lee knew."

"I somehow doubt that." Valencia said, the elevator dinging and opening onto their floor. "Just seems…too strange." She knocked on apartment 7G's door. "Seriously."

The door swung open, revealing a African American man, his hair spiked with the tips dyed white, dressed in a Ramones t-shirt and jeans. He blinked, staring at Lee.

"Lee?"

"Orlando?"

"Called it!" Gabriel sang.

"Orlando?" Ashleigh asked, confused.

"You know him?" Hank asked.

"Ashleigh." Orlando said in a panic, eyes glowing red.

"You know her…" Hank asked, slowly backing away.

"You will never take me, nor will the 7 Horns!" Orlando grabbed Lee, yanking him behind him before he unleashed a blast of what they could only assume was heat vision at Ashleigh. Valencia darted forward, taking the brunt of it as the door slammed shut.

"…I hate being right." Gabriel muttered as he helped a rapidly healing Valencia to her feet."

"Thank god it happens so rarely."

"Yeah thank…hey!"

^&^&^&^

"So all this craziness stems from Carter Daniels, huh?" Ellie asked.

"Pretty much." Malcolm admitted. "The boy has more bloody chaos lines hooked to him than anyone else…seems to attract danger. In less than a year, he's saved the US Mint, died, came back stronger than ever claiming he is God's Voice on Earth, took on Merrick Delpine and destroyed half of Flint, took over one of the largest software companies in the world, and is now taking on the rest of the 7 Horns."

Ellie frowned. "Its like Dragonball Z…only this makes slightly more sense."

"Barely, love, barely." Malcolm admitted.

^&^&^&^

(Switzerland)

Derek glanced over at Carter. "What?"

"I didn't say anything."

"You've wanted to since we landed…spill."

Carter narrowed his eyes. "Do you love my daughter?"

"With all my heart."

"And you treat her well?"

"Equal only to Sarah."

Carter nodded. "And I assume I gave you the standard wedding speech long ago?"

"I hurt her, my body is never found."

Carter smirked. "You hurt her, and I'll time travel, get 30 Carters together, and we will beat you till the end of time."

"…duly noted." Derek stated.

Madrid leaned over to Sarah. "Are they always like this?"

Sarah, who was pushing Linda's wheelchair, shrugged. "Pretty much. Grandpa is a better more…loving towards dad…but he still makes it clear that mom is number one in his book."

Madrid smiled. "As well he should."

Linda sat in her chair, pouting. "I can get around by myself, you know. I don't need your help."

Sarah shrugged. "I like helping. Second favorite aunt and all. Named after ya, aren't I?"

"Huh?" Linda asked as they made their way towards the large estate's door, nestled at the foot of the Alps.

"Sarah Linda Daniels, at your service." Sarah said with a grin. "Named after my favorite aunts."

Linda frowned. "How can your last name be Daniels?"

Derek shrugged. "My mom refused to take my father's last name…you helped save her, Carter, and in honor of that, I was given your name: Derek Carter Daniels."

Carter nodded. "I was worried we were entering an episode of Jerry Springer for a moment there."

Madrid shushed them all as she knocked on the door. The door swung open after a few minutes, revealing a regal looking older woman, tall and lithe, with silver hair and wearing a long tan dress.

"You must be Vic's boy." The woman said with a smile. "I am Adriana…he told me to expect you." She motioned for them to enter. "Come in, come in." Led into the estate, Adriana motioned for one of her servants to take their coats. Carter frowned, looking at his sword, before finally surrendering it. "You will be safe here, my dears, so there will be no need for violence. But come, come…we have much to see."

"You think Vally is still upset?" Madrid asked.

"Probably." Carter admitted. "I just hope mom and dad can get her mind off us for a few hours."

^&^&^&^

(The French Public Zoo)

"Vally! Get off of there!"

Vally giggled she ignored Vic, riding on the back of an elephant. "Weeeeeeeeee!" She laughed.

Helena looked at the zookeepers, blushing. "She's…spirited." At the men's looks, she pulled out her wallet, trying to figure out a good bribe. "Atleast she isn't crying anymore."

^&^&^&^

"My ability is an enhanced cerebral cortex. It allows me to create advanced machines, items that are 100s of years before their time. Cellphones, Ipods, computers…they are all my brainchildren." Adriana smiled. "This is why I have been elected to be the caretaker of the Alliance's most precious items." She began to motion to different items. "The guns of Count Erensto, the sword of Byron the Dashing, the blood of Adam Monroe…I have protected all of these, each item worth the weight of this building in gold, deadly if in the wrong hands."

Carter nodded, examining a sword. "Very impressive."

"That it is." Sarah said, glancing at the vial.

Linda frowned. "We were not told clearly how you may help us, Adriana. What exactly is it that you may provide for us that would allow us to raise our army."

"I hold several key family heirlooms, many of which the families would want back…and would pledge to stand behind you if you were to wage war." Adriana said. "With my help, we will be able to form your army."

Madrid nodded. "We thank you for all you are doing for us…we only hope that we can repay you."

"Oh…you will." Adriana said with a knowing smile. "You will."

^&^&^&^

"So…what do we do now?" Ellie asked, Malcolm finally done with his story.

"Not much, really." Malcolm admitted. "The others are playing their parts, and as long as each one does as I have seen, we should be good to…" Malcolm frowned, blinking his eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"The chaos lines…they're…gone." He looked about, trying to gather his bearings. After months of having them with him, for the lines to disappear…without rhyme or reason…it wasn't like when he'd lost his powers during the eclipse…this was something else…as if the lines were…being hidden…

"Oh bloody hell….duck!" Malcolm screamed, diving at Ellie just as the door of the chateau burst open, revealing 15 of Marie Delpine's agents, dressed in black and carrying assault rifles. "Run." Malcolm whispered.

"What?"

"RUN!"


	67. Cold Snap

(Adriana's mansion, around Mindnight)

"Police can't f--- with the Juggernaut…"

Carter frowned, rubbing his eyes as he slowly rolled out of bed. His cellphone was playing his song, meaning someone wanted him, which meant he needed to wake up and answer it.

Goodie.

"'ello?" Carter mumbled.

"Carter?"

"…Claire?" Carter asked, still sleepy. "What…what's up?"

Claire sighed. "Things…things have gotten bad."

Carter shook his head. "What did your fathers do this time?"

"It's my bio dad…"

"Nathan."

"Right…he's with me."

Carter growled. "I warned him not to mess…"

"He's on our side."

"…come again?"

Claire sighed. "He exposed himself…the government knows he's one of us…they are after him now."

"Good." Carter said calmly.

"Carter!" Claire snapped. "He's my father! How can you…" She groaned. "Worse still, now they have decided I get no free pass."

"Hell yes you do." Carter said, frustrated. "I'll call the President tomorrow, remind him of our agreement. My family is off the list, that includes you."

Claire was silent for a moment. "That isn't why I called…my dad, Nathan…he says you did something to his head. Something that is giving him nightmares…I need to know how to undo it. We need him fully functioning…"

"I did nothing."

"…what?"

"It was a placebo, Claire. All I did was make some whammy fire that literally made sure his brain chemicals stayed the same." He chuckled. "I knew Nathan would guilt himself into feeling things worse than I ever could…and best of all, he won't believe me and still guilt himself. I'm rather evil, you know."

"Carter!"

Carter groaned. "Listen, we'll talk tomorrow. I'll call the President, let him know you are off limits, then I'll send a jet for you, bring you here…you'll like France, everyone is rude." Carter licked his lips. "Night Claire."

"Carter…"

Carter hung up.

"Why did I want to find my family in the first place?" Carter muttered.

^&^&^&^

(India)

"So, what's the four one one?" Kelly asked, watching as her father and mother returned. The two of them, upon seeing Lord Tully, had told their traveling companions to return to the hotel, that they would go get intel about their target.

Charlie frowned. "We hit it right when we called him Lord Tubby. He had super speed, or atleast he use to. Used it in his youth to win races and challenges. Problem is, his speed is in his legs, not his gut. Got soft, got lazy, now he just sits around and commands his harem. Sad, really."

Renee nodded. "Owns some pretty stuff though…me likey." She began to vibrate like Tigger on crack. "I think if we break in at midnight, we can steal some statues, maybe a few of those gold picture frames…"

"We are not stealing anything." Tina said coldly. "We are trying to get Lord Tully to come with us." She leaned forward from where she sat on the bed. "So…thoughts?"

Charlie frowned. "From what I've heard, Lord Tully doesn't take to people questioning him or demanding he do as they ask. He has banished many of his servants from the city because they dared to tell him not to have seconds."

"Maybe one of those servants could help us?" Renee said.

Tina grinned. "That's a great…"

"They could know where he keeps the really expensive stuff!"

"We are not stealing things." Tina stressed. "Ok, the servants are one way, but I doubt it. If Tully didn't like them once…maybe we could sneak in, find a way in…"

"Go through the treasure room…"

"We are not stealing things!" Tina shouted.

Charlie nodded. "We…could steal something for…ransom?"

"…no." Tina said.

"Yes." Kelly said, looking up. "We can steal something."

Renee grinned. "See Charlie, she is as crazy as we are!"

"No…I'm not." Kelly said. "But I do have a plan."

^&^&^&^

(Boston)

"What the hell?" Lee asked as Orlando quickly began throwing every single lock, and there were many of them, upon the door, before scurrying towards his bookcase. Already, Lee could hear Gabriel cracking his knuckles against the wood, breaking through easily. In moments, Orlando flung the case aside, revealing a steal door. Pressing his hand to a touch screen, the door hissed open, allowing Orlando to grab his friend and haul the two inside, shooting off one quick blast of heat vision before slamming the door shut, just as Gabe and Valencia managed to break in.

"Come on man!" Gabriel muttered, purple flames flowing along his hand until a diamond drill appeared at his fingers. "You're just going to make me mad!"

"And he's usually like that, so you are not helping his personality!" Valencia called out.

Ashleigh glared at the siblings. "Must you?"

"We must." The two said at once, before Gabe went at the door with the drill, Valencia slamming her fists into the metal, trying to rip the door off at the seams.

ZZZZZZZ

"AAA!" Both cried out, electicity shocking both of them and sending them flying. Hank and Ashleigh ran to them, grimacing as the brother and sister flexed their charred skin, the burnt flesh cracking away to reveal already healed skin.

"Now I remember why I hate Orlando." Valencia said.

"You know him?" Hank questioned.

"In the future, yeah. No strong memories until my teenage years, but still, he hovered around. Never part of the inner circle…kinda like Uncle Terrence, only instead of trying to kill dad, he just preferred to make better mouse traps." She groaned. "Always complained the house wasn't secure enough." She reached up and ripped off a stubborn chunk of burnt flesh. "I'm guessing he knows you?" She asked Ashleigh.

Ashleigh smiled weakly. "I…might have killed his Uncle Sal?"

"…friggin' a." Gabriel muttered.

^&^&^&^

"I love stealin', I love takin' things."

"Is that so?"

Sarah whipped around, startled to find her father AND grandfather watching her, both hastily dressed.

She was in the trophy room Adriana had shown them earlier, hands around a golden cup Adriana had claimed to belong to king Arthur. Derek leaned to the side, noticing her back was filled with other goodies.

"We are guests here…" He muttered.

Carter frowned. "You sure are raising my daughter wonderfully."

"Blame the Raegans, they trained her."

Sarah smiled weakly. "It was just a few things."

"What's going on?" Madrid asked, padding into the room, wearing the clothes she'd gone to bed it, Linda following close behind.

"The little klepto decided to steal stuff." Carter muttered, only to get a smack across the head. "Ow!"

"Don't talk about our granddaughter like that." Madrid said sternly.

"But she is a little klepto…" Carter grimaced. "OW!"

Linda wheeled herself over to a wall, not paying attention as Carter and his family continued to argue.

"Listen, I have a good reason…" Sarah began.

"I don't care what it is!" Derek snapped. "Bad enough ou are stealing, but in the past? You could change the future!"

"It would not!"

"You want to risk it?" Carter questioned.

"I'm just…"

"Quiet." Linda hissed, the group turning as she placed a hand against the wall. "I hear something."

All of them went still.

Tap…tap…tap…

"I…think something is behind this wall."

Sarah frowned as her grandfather walked forward, searching the wall with his whammy flames. "This is the part of the movie where we unleash the mummy, you know that, right?"

"There is a person behind this wall…they are scared but also hopeful." Carter flexed his fingers. "Lets see what they want."

Linda nodded. "There should be a switch to open…"

Carter slammed his hand through the wall with ease, ripping a huge chunk out.

"…or we can do that."

"Hey, who's in…there…"

The group froze as a face peered at them.

"Biddy?"

^&^&^&^

"Can she swing from a web. No she can't, that's just gross." Renee sang softly as she pressed her palm to the smooth stone that formed Lord Tully's mini-palace. She shoes lay several yards below her, her bare feet pressed to the wall as she climbed up ala-Spider-Man. "Look out…here comes Renee Raegan."

"Baby…silence is needed." Charlie whispered.

"But its not fun." Renee commented, reaching a window and tying off the rope she carried. Giving it a few quick tugs, she happily tumbled back out of sight into the building.

"Kelly?" Charlie offered the rope.

Tina raised an eyebrow as he girlfriend, who she had never really known to be athletic, grab the rope and quickly ascend. "Where did you learn that?"

"Camping." Kelly hissed, scaling the wall. "Learned a lot…stone identification, how to hunt and track, climbing, working with hand tools…" She grew quiet as she focused on getting into the building. Tina held out a hand as Charlie reached for the rope.

"A moment." She said sternly. "Rope climbing…stone idenitifaction?"

Charlie shrugged "We are hippie parents?"

"You were training her.

"What?" He said, smiling slightly.

"You and her mom… that's how she has been able to help Carter so much. That's how she came up with this plan…you were training her to be a thief. Like you."

"Not like us." Charlie said, continuing before Tina could interrupt. "Better." He held up his hand. "But…as time went on…we couldn't go on. Not forcing her, atleast. If she wanted to be a thief, we gave her the tools…it seems she's used them for a different purpose." He paused. "now…would you like to go next?"

Tina nodded, finally grabbing the rope and beginning the climb.

^&^&^&^

Lee looked around the panic room, running his tongue along the inside of his cheek. "Only you would have a panic room filled with pornography." He picked up a copy of 'Black Booty Monthly", skimming through it. "Seriously Orlando…this is just sad."

"Well, I was just using it as a storage closet, which is why my bike is in here too." Orlando said, flipping on a monitor and watching as Gabriel gave the door the finger. "Your captors aren't going to get in here that easy."

"They aren't my captors." Lee muttered.

"Then who are they?" Orlando asked, tapping the image of Ashleigh. "Because that woman I know killed my uncle."

"That's my mom." Orlando raised an eyebrow. "She came back from the dead." Orlando frowned, Lee smiling weakly. "Trust me, it happens more than you think. My friend Carter…his family has died more times…those are his kids from the future, by the way."

Orlando blinked. "…ok, start at the beginning."

^&^&^&^

(The Daniels' Chateau)

"MOVE!" Malcolm shouted, pulling out his new favorite toy, the electro-bullet gun he'd stolen from Nathan's men, and fired several shots at the men. He dove around a doorway, taking a couple more shots before he raced after Ellie, taking three steps at a time.

Ellie panted as Malcolm caught up to her, yanking her into the bedroom and slamming the door shut.

"Who…who are they?"

"Don't bloody know, don't bloody care…" Malcolm muttered, grabbing the bed and heaving it away.

"But you are all Mister Knowing!"

"They are blocking my powers." Malcolm said, lifting up a secret panel. He had demanded a room with just such a space, and even though he had yet to fully move into the room (there wasn't anything other than a bed and tv in it, actually), he had wanted the storage space.

"How would they do that?" Ellie ask.

"Again, being blocked, no bloody clue." Malcolm said, rummaging around. When Carter and Valencia had taken out Nathan's men, Malcolm had stolen every weapon the men had on them. He'd requested Helena and Vic to secure him duplicates and upgrades, but right now he was happy he had what he had. "Get behind the bed." He said, tipping the bed over.

They'd laughed at him when he'd asked for a bed made of bullet proof metal.

The door shuddered as the men that had invaded the chateau tried to break it down.

Malcolm smiled as he selected the perfect weapon, hiding behind the bed with Elle.

The door flew open.

"My turn." Malcolm said simply, popping up and cocking a large automatic uzi.

Not all the weapons had been for simple tag and bags.

The agents didn't even have time to duck.

^&^&^&^

Derek stared at Biddy.

She didn't like that.

"Problem?"

Derek shook his head. "No…no, of course not m…miss." Sarah rolled her eyes. "Watch it…"

Carter rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Quiet." He leaned around an archway, motioning for the group to follow. "I'd like to sneak out of her quick and easy like." He growled. "Pissed enough I'm leaving without my sword."

Biddy pulled Carter's duster, which he had given to her when he had noticed she was wearing only a thin camisole, tight against her body. "I can't believe this is your granddaughter from the future."

"I can't believe Adriana is working with Marie." Madrid muttered, going over the story Biddy had told them of how Adriana had been called upon by Marie to take the pregenent woman away for protection.

"I can't believe my daughter's kleptoing actually was worth something."

"I can't believe its not butter." Linda muttered dryly, wheeling around a corner.

"I can't believe you didn't think I'd hear you."

The group stopped short, startled to find Adriana and several guards, the same kind that, unknown to them, were attacking the chateau in France.

"Shit." Carter muttered.

^&^&^&^

Kelly looked down at their prize. "As I said…there is something we can steal." She nodded to Tina, who held up the injector gun and fired a single needle-shot into Tully's neck. The fat man mumbled in his sleep as he drifted deeper into unconsciousness.

Renee nodded. "Most of the time, I steal pretty things…" Tina and Kelly glared at her. "Ok, ok, I'm stealin', I'm stealin'." She began to tie the rope around the fat man. "I better get something real shiny for this, Charlie."

Charlie turned to his daughter. "My bank account thanks you."

^&^&^&^

"And that's when Malcolm brought Ellie back to the chateau…"

Orlando frowned. "And Ellie…"

"Is british." Lee shrugged. "We can't all have superpowers."

"…right." Orlando commented.

"I know it is hard to believe, with my mom being insane for quite a few years and me going all supervillian and killing the man I know consider my best friend…"

"I believe you."

"And that he is married to freakin' Marie Aleverz…geez, remember when we saw Amry Chicks? Her boobs look even better in per…wait, what?"

Orlando grinned. "Lee, my friend, I have heard a lot of crazy things, and I have learned that most of the time, if they are coming from someone you trust, they are true." He wrapped an arm around his friend's shoulder. "And if you are telling me that Ashleigh Delpine is sane now, and you need my help kicking her sister-in-law's ass…I'm good to go." He pressed a button, opening the panic room door.

"Glad too…"

"AAAAA!" Gabriel shouted, whacking Orlando with a baseball bat.

"Gabriel!" Lee shouted.

"Booyah, bitch!" Gabe cheered, Valencia holding her head in her hands.

Orlando groaned. "Then again…"

^&^&^&^

"Any ideas?" Carter asked, igniting his hands.

"I got one." Derek said, his hand glowing. He slashed the air, a rip in space appearing. "Everyone out of the pool!"

"Shoot them!"

Carter dove forward, taking the shots meant for his family, swinging his fists as he exploded into his Metatron form. Madrid was working on protecting Biddy, while Sarah stared at her hands, growling in frustration that her powers, yet again, were not activating when she needed them. Derek slashed the air several times, the agents screaming as fire burst from the cuts.

"I just opened portals to the sun. Might want to stand back." He said calmly, backing towards the main portal. "I mean it though, we need to leave now!"

Carter nodded, firing several blasts at Adriana, who managed to dive out of the way and pull out a strange ring, about the size of a frisbee. "I'm way ahead…ARRRRGGGG!"

"Carter!" Madrid cried out, watching her husband fall to his knees. Adriana's ring had hit his neck, snapping open then shut, locking in place. Carter's flames instantly died, electricity burning his skin as he twitched.

"It's a shock collar!" Sarah called out.

"What?!?" Biddy exclaimed.

Derek frowned, making another slash and letting loose water from the Pacific. Linda held up her hand, sending the waves crashing against some men that had been coming towards them, then focusing on trying to drag Carter, who had managed to get away from them in the fight, back towards the portal. "It's a weapon used the stop people with powers. Blocks your abilities, and when you try and use them, shocks your nervous system." Carter groaned, tugging at the collar weakly. "We need to go, now!"

Sarah nodded, grabbing Biddy with one arm and Linda's wheelchair with the other, using her inherieted super strength to drag the two into the portal. Madrid kept trying to get to Carter, only to be pushed back by agents.

"Derek!" Carter cried out, his voice weakened by the constant shocks as his body subconsciously tried to heal itself. "Do you love my daughter?"

"Of course, why does that matter?" Derek called out.

"If you love her…you'll get her mother out of here, now!" Carter rose to his feet, taking a breath. "And then you'll shut the portal down."

Madrid's eyes widened. "NO!" She screamed, staring forward.

"Derek, do it!" Carter cried out, rushing into the agents, not caring if he no longer had his super strength, speed or healing. "You have to leave me! Go!"

"Carter!" Madrid, even as Derek sadly wrapped his arm around her. "NO!"

"We'll find you! We'll be right back!"

"No, you won't." Carter said, ducking a punch. "My wife…my daughter…they are all that matter now. You need to protect them Derek…forget about me."

"Carter!" Madrid screamed as Derek dragged her into the portal.

"I'm not keeping that promise!" Derek called out, watching as Carter was swarmed.

"Oh…you will." Carter whispered, before one agent managed to knock him out with the butt of his gun.

Adriana stood up at long last. "Call Marie…tell her I'll be there soon."

^&^&^&^

(The Next Day)

"What…the hell?" Tina whispered as she entered the chateau.

Malcolm sat on the couch, calmly flipping through a graphic novel, Ellie seated beside him. Bullet holes filled the walls, furniture was destroyed, construction workers were busy fixing doors while several maids scrubbed the blood from the hardwood.

"We had guests." Ellie said softly. "Malcolm showed them out."

"They're sleeping in the garden, about 6 feet deep." He said calmly, flipping through the book. "Kept their weapons, some nice stuff…they got someone to make a power blocker for them." He turned the page. "Did you get Lord Tully?"

"Out cold in the van." Tina said. "Is that my copy of Watchmen?"

Malcolm nodded. "The Question was right, Rorschach sucks."

"Blasphemy!" Tina snapped.

Kelly groaned as she entered. "Great, you have the nerd all fired up."

"I am a fan of comics, not a nerd." Tina commented.

"I know." Kelly said, giving her girlfriend a quick peck on the check. "That is why I love you."

Tina nodded. "And, by the way, I don't see people getting on Carter for his comic book love."

"First off…" Lee said, entering just in time to hear that comment. "Carter likes lesser known heroes, like Blue Beetle and Booster Gold." He frowned. "You could always put down your Green Lantern books and try some Hellboy." He pointed at Orlando, who was still casting looks at Gabriel as their group entered the chateau.

Tina wrinkled her nose. "I'll stick with Hal Jordan, thank you!"

"What happened to your head?" Renee asked as her and Charlie walked in, Lord Tully's limp body on a gurney.

Orlando glared at Gabriel.

"Madrid's here." Valencia said, looking out the door. "And so is…"

"Biddy?" Hank whispered, everyone going still as the woman they hadn't seen in months slowly entered the chateau, one hand place protectively on her stomach.

"…Hank?" She whispered, tears in her eyes.

"Biddy!" He cried out, rushing forward and wrapping his arms around his girl, giving her a deep, passionate kiss. He held her tight, breathing in her scent, eyes closed as he savored having her once more in his arms. "How?"

"Carter…" She whispered. "Carter."

Hank smiled. "He did it…that bastard told me he'd save you…" He laughed. "Where is that idiot! He has a hug coming!" He glanced over at the door, noticing at long last that Sarah and Derek were working to help a shaken and red eyed Madrid into the building, tears still streaming down her face, Carter's duster wrapped around her like a security blanket. "What is it…what's wrong?"

Biddy gulped. "Hank…Carter…"

"Where's daddy?"

Vally stood in the doorway, a stuffed elephant from the zoo in her arms. She looked about, confused.

"Daddy?" She called out. "Daddy?"

Biddy began to cry.

^&^&^&^

"What do you mean you let her go?!?" Marie snarled. "I sent her to you for protection, to ensure that she would remain alive and in my hands, and you let her disappear like that? How could you be so stupid, so careless, as to allow that to happen!? I trusted you…"

Adriana held up her hands. "I understand, Marie…that is why I offer a token of forgivness."

Marie huffed as several of Adriana's men opened up the van's door. "I seriously doubt there is anything you could provide…"

Carter Daniels tumbled to her feet, a power blocking shock collar around his neck.

"Will this do?"

^&^&^&^

"DAAADDDDDDYYY!!!!"

Madrid struggled to hold onto to screaming toddler, Tina hurrying to help. Vally continued to cry out, kicking and slapping everyone, pink flames bursting from her body.

"WANT MY DADDY! WANT MY DADDY!" She wailed.

She wasn't the only one not taking the news well.

Hank was holding Biddy as she sobbed, blaming herself for all that had happened. Kelly too was crying, her mother and father forgetting all thoughts of shiny things and instead focusing on comforting her.

Lee sat dumb on the floor, his mother trying to ignore what horrors Marie would inflect upon him.

Ellie was rushing about, trying to help everyone, being the one who knew Carter the least.

Linda gripped her wheelchair in frustration.

Vic sat on the couch, Helena bandaging his broken hand, staring at the hole he'd punched in the wall.

The four time travelers were huddled together, trying to figure out what the hell had happened.

Vally whimpered, she screams finally dying down, but not her pain. The little girl sniffed, rubbing her face against her mother's shoulder. "Why did daddy have to go?"

Madrid closed her eyes, resting her head next to her daughters. "I don't know."

"I do."

Madrid and Vally turned, watching Malcolm as he stared out over the French landscape.

"Because he saw someone being hurt, and he couldn't live with that."

^&^&^&^

Carter grit his teeth as Joseph cruelly shoved him to the cold cement floor, eyes squeezing shut as his attacker kicked him hard in the rubs. He'd been stripped of his shirt and shoes, left only his pants, left to shiver agianst the cold."

^&^&^&^

"So he took Biddy's place..."

^&^&^&^

Gabriella grabbed Carter's hand, pulling it above his head as Joseph violently tied him to a piece of rough lumber. He kept his face still and cold as Gabriella placed a metal spike against his wrist.

His calm shattered as Joseph drove the metal home.

^&^&^&^

"Because he can take it."

^&^&^&^

Carter roared in agony as Joseph whipped him, blood and flesh flying from the wounds.

^&^&^&^

"Because he isn't just your father."

^&^&^&^

Carter bucked as the power-blocking collar shocked him as his body struggled to heal itself.

^&^&^&^

"He's something more...something better."

^&^&^&^

Marie watched on as Joseph tortured Carter, noticing that, while Carter did scream and cry…he was never scared, never frightened.

^&^&^&^

"What is he?" Vally asked timidly.

^&^&^&^

Carter lifted his head up, staring defiantly at Marie, sending cold chills down her back.

^&^&^&^

"A hero." Malcolm whispered.

Everyone took this in, letting the silence overtake them. It was only broken by the soft rustle of Malcolm's jacket parting. He lifted his gun up, inserting one of the large elctro-bullets into the chamber before cocking it, holding it out and staring down the sight before he brought it to rest against his shoulder like a bounty hunter from an old fashion western.

"And we are going to get him back."

^&^&^&^

(We see Carter hanging, all by himself)

I found God  
On the corner of First and Amistad  
Where the west  
Was all but won

(Carters looks to the sky, as if in prayer)

All alone  
Smoking his last cigarette  
I said, Where you been?  
He said, Ask anything.

(Carter lowers his head, blood trickling from his lips. The blood pools at his feet and in it the image of Helena appears, crying as Vic holds her tight)

Where were you  
When everything was falling apart?  
All my days  
Were spent by the telephone

(We move into one of her tears, showing Kelly huddled in a corner, clutching a photo album)

That never rang  
And all I needed was a call  
It never came  
To the corner of First and Amistad

(The album opens to show Lee violently throwing a can of paint through a window.)

Lost and insecure  
you found me  
Lying on the floor  
Surrounded, surrounded

(The glass falls, revealing Hank and Biddy holding each other in bed, each holding the other as they cry)

Why'd you have to wait?  
Where were you, where were you?  
Just a little late  
You found me, You found me

(The twisted sheets take the form of Ashleigh staring at a mirror, punching it in disgust)

In the end  
Everyone ends up alone  
Losing her  
The only one who's ever known

(The reflective metal reveals the 4 travelers sitting at a table, going over maps, stumped at what went wrong)

Who I am  
Who I'm not, and who I want to be  
No way to know  
How long she will be next to me

(The lines on the maps bleed together to form Tina lying in the fetal position on her floor, staring at a straight razor, slowly picking it up)

Lost and insecure  
You found me, you found me  
Lying on the floor  
Surrounded, surrounded

(The carpet pattern reveals Madrid holding a sobbing Vally, tears in her eyes as she wraps the two of them in Carter's duster)

Why'd you have to wait?  
Where were you, where were you?  
Just a little late  
You found me, You found me

(The cracks in the duster turn into shower streams, the image pulling back to show Malcolm under the hot water, head down)

Early morning  
The city breaks  
I've been calling  
For years and years and years and years

(As the drops fall from Malcolm's nude form, we see flashes of Terrence, Claire, Peter, Eden, Matt, Mohinder, Hiro and others)

And you never left me no messages  
You never sent me no letters  
You got some kind of nerve  
Taking all I want

(The water in the drain swirls down, turning to blood once more as Carter hangs upon the lumber. He closes his eyes, defeated)

Lost and insecure  
You found me, you found me  
Lying on the floor  
Where were you, where were you?

(Carter looks up, and as he does so, Malcolm flings himself out of the shower, grabbing his gun, he pounds on Madrid and Vally's door, the two of them taking a deep breath, before marching out of their room. They pass Tina, who has used the razor to carve Carter's name into the handle of a pistol)

Lost and insecure  
You found me, you found me

(The four travelers now inspect maps, showing Ashleigh where Marie might be. Hank and Biddy enter, throwing them each bullet proof vests)

Lying on the floor  
Surrounded, surrounded

(Lee uses the paint to create crude soldiers, Kelly handing out weapons while Vic and Helena issue commands)

Why'd you have to wait?  
Where were you, where were you?

(All of them join together, nodding to each other before they march off into the night)

Just a little late  
You found me, You found me

(Beyond them, where the sun will rise, we see Carter hung up, waiting for them)

Why'd you have to wait  
To find me, to find me?

**ELSEWHERE**

_In the past, he saved the world_

_This time, the world will save him_


	68. Into Asylum

(Daniels' Chateau)

Vic stared out from the stairway at the members of the Alliance. Each one of the men and women here were heads of their houses, some of the most powerful people in the world, both known and unknown. There was the man that had shown Bill Gates how to program a computer. The woman that had built her fortune by salvaging ships…without a boat. There the true ruling family of Austria, the current politicians their puppets.

Vic had seen them grow up, as well as their parents and their parents' parents. For several centuries he had watched over them, working with them to ensure the world remained safe.

And now, he would come to them on his knees.

For the boy that was his grandson by blood, his son by choice…was gone.

Captured by a sadist.

Tortured even as he stood there.

And the Alliance was his only hope.

"Will they listen?" Helena asked, wrapping her arms around her husband. It was still a bitter pill to swallow, that the man she loved had lied to her, that he was immortal, that he had founded the organization that had tormented her son and his family. But who was she to judge? She had worked for the Company, who had wanted to see Carter die. It had taken effort on both their powers to forgive one another…and even stronger wills to finally convince Carter to open his heart to them again. If it were not for Madrid and Vally, who had begged Carter to speak to them…she knew her son would have been lost to them.

And yet…

"They will have to." Vic whispered.

"I want him back, Vic." She said softly. "I want him in my arms again…I want to see his bright eyes and hear his voice." She shuddered. "We can't leave him to die."

"We won't…I promise you, we won't."

^&^&^&^

(Marie's Stronghold)

Carter didn't know where he was. All he knew was that it was dark, it was quiet, and the only item in the room was the crucifix he had been nailed too.

'Marie has a sick sense of humor.' He thought, looking at the steel spikes that had been driving into his wrists. 'I might be God's voice, but I doubt the Creator is going to let me come back after 3 days…'

BOOM

Carter looked up, cocking his head to the side as he tried to figure out what the hell was going on.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

Light burst from the darkness, forcing Carter to close his eyes. He felt arms grasping him, the steel spikes ripped from his body and the collar tore from his neck.

"Hey, come on…" A familiar voice said.

Carter frowned. "Claire?"

Claire Bennet smiled, helping him stand. "Hold on big brother…the calvary has arrived."

^&^&^&^

"Mama?" Vally looked up at her mother, fidgeting slightly. "Are we gonna get daddy back now?"

Madrid smiled sadly. "I'm gonna try."

Vally nodded. "I want daddy back."

"I know." Madrid steeled her nerves before finally entering the dining room, unnerved that she was surrounded by power players that made the world go around. She was dressed in a pantsuit, though she felt she should be in battle armor, all things considered.

She glanced at Lord Tully, who was grumbling that he had been brought there under false pretenses. And there was Orlando, looking occasionally at Lee. The rest of Madrid's group was seated behind her, watching as she prepared herself to speak. Vally had come in and plopped herself in Ellie's lap, the special bear in her lap. The only chair that was empty was Malcolm's, the British man stating he had work to do.

"Ladies and Gentlemen…" Madrid began at last. "You know me. I am Madrid Daniels, wife of Carter Daniels, the head of the House of Ellis. I come before you…humble, and in need. My husband…my beloved…he has been taken. Marie Delpine, leader of the Seven Horns, the militiant arm of the Alliance, has captured him, and if he is not…" She struggled for a moment, "…dead…he needs us now.

"Carter has done much for you, but I know that many of you do not trust him. His father, Victor Daniels, created the Alliance to serve Carter, but you still do not believe he is the one destined to lead you. I understand…I truly do. I am not asking to take his place, for those that wish him to be the commander he seek. And I do not ask that you even accept him as some…mystical superhuman messiah. He is not that…he is a man…a powerful man, yes…but he is just a man…a husband…a son…a friend…a father.

"I am here to ask you all to look at those gathered before you, and to see that we need your help. Carter has given so much to help us all…we must help him." Madrid forced herself to continue. "I, acting for my husband, call for a vote of war against Marie Delpine and the Seven Horns, for their act of attacking another of the Alliance."

The room erupted into shouts both for and against the call to arms. Madrid watched as Vic stood up, pleading for calm.

An Indian man whistled. "Let us vote…why squabble when we can decide this fairly." Madrid breathed a sigh of relief. "I vote no."

"What?" Madrid whispered.

Slowly, more joined in turning down he declaration.

^&^&^&^

Carter coughed, his superhealing working overtime to fix him up. Claire was guiding him through the ruins of Marie's stronghold, a determined look on her face.

"How?" Carter whispered.

"Nathan…my dad…he found out, and I was able to get some people together…"

"You got him?" Another woman called out, running towards them. She was dressed in a black infiltrator suit, several guns strapped her chest.

Carter cocked his head to the side. "Who are you?"

"A friend." The woman said. "The United States Government can have you dead, not when France would threaten war. I came out of retirement to help you." The woman began leading them through the halls. "The rest of the team is taking out Marie's forces…don't worry Carter, we'll get you out of here."

"What…what is your name?" Carter asked, hissing as the skin on his right arm sealed up.

The woman smiled. "Sydney…Sydney Bristow."

^&^&^&^

"I vote yes."

"No."

"No."

"No."

"Yes" Orlando said.

"No."

"Yes"

"Yes"

"Yes"

Vic sighed, lowering his head. "That is 20 votes for no, 19 for yes…the nos have it…we will…not declare war."

Madrid stared at Vic in horror. "There…there has to be some mistake…"

The Indian man shook his head. "There is no mistake. Marie Delpine is merely avenging the death of her husband…your husband killed him."

Kelly stood up. "Merrick Delpine kidnapped an innocent child!"

"Which was in his right…I believe Vic's records show his associate Seth explained this to you?" One woman stated.

Tina grit her teeth. "You are supporting a woman that held a pregnant woman hostage and let her associates terrorize the innocent!?!"

A 40 year old man in a suit sighed. "We can not expect you to understand…"

"Damn right we don't understand!" Linda roared. "I was crippled because of them!" Sarah reached over, placing a hand on Linda's shoulder as the Professor raged. "Marie Delpine and the Seven Horns are monsters!"

"Enough!" Yet another no voter called out. "The vote is passed, you have lost…"

"Cowards." Ellie snarled. "My Malcolm told me about you, and how you all stood by, letting Carter do your dirty work. You don't mind sending others to die, but when you are asked to fight."

"She is right!" One of the yes voters called out. "We must end this. The Delpines have pushed too hard for too long…we can seize the moment…"

"And we can ignore the rules that govern us." Lord Tully stated. "You kidnapped me, treated me like cargo…well, I happily vote now, and hope your Carter dies a rather slow death."

Vally growled, her entire body glowing blood red. Ellie's eyes widened as the little girl began to hum with energy.

Lord Tully backed away slowly. "You would not dare…you attack me, little girl, and I will have you in irons!"

Madrid snarled. "You will not threaten my daughter!"

"I will do as I like!" Lord Tully shouted as Valencia and Derek grabbed Vally, working on calming her down before she wiped out everyone's powers.

"We must attack!"

"The vote is done!"

"This is foolishness!"

Lord Tully stood up, yelling over everyone. "You don't have the votes! All the houses have spoken."

Hank stood up. "no…they haven't."

^&^&^&^

Carter frowned as he sat on the hard bench. They were in a cargo plane, the sound of the engines surrounding him and the team that had gotten him out of that place. Claire had said that they were taking him someplace to recover, before they got him back to his family.

Carter was just confused.

He kept staring at Sydney, trying to place her, knowing that he had seen her somewhere before…

"You ok, big brother?" Claire asked, sitting down next to him.

Carter shook his head. "Just trying to get my head on straight."

"Being tortured will do that too you, makes sense that you would be all twisted around."

Carter nodded, though not agreeing with the statement. "Why would the US Government care about me? I threatened them…"

"Sydney explained that…"

Carter frowned. "And that another thing…something in the back of my mind…about her…"

Claire smiled, taking ahold of his hand. "Just forget about it."

"Are you hungry?" Another woman asked. She had long black hair, and was wearing a school girl uniform.

Carter nodded, accepting the muffin. "And you are?"

"Kagome, Carter-sama." The woman said.

Carter frowned, his brain buzzing again.

^&^&^&^

"What are you talking about?" Lord Tully demanded.

"Not all the Houses have spoken." Hank said, taking Madrid's spot, the Spanish actress taking Vally from Derek's arms and cradling her. "Tell me, how does a house split?"

"What?" Lord Tully questioned.

"A house! How does it become two?"

Lord Tully frowned. "A son may challenge the head for his right to freedom. Should he secure it, be seen by the head as independent, a new house will be formed."

Hank nodded. "As I thought." He stood a bit taller. "I am Hank Delpine, spiritual brother of Carter Daniels, head…of the House Delpine-Daniels."

Lord Tully shook his head. "You can not declare yourself a Head of House…"

"Yes he can!" Helena shouted. "Hank fought Merrick, and he won. He earned his freedom. He has denied his father, and he is declared himself family to my son."

"That does not work…" Lord Tully shouted, growing desperate.

Biddy stood, placing a hand on her extended belly. "Marie Delpine told me that Hank is no longer her son, that my child is her heir…Hank is no longer a Delpine, he is free! And by your laws, he is the head of a house."

Several members murmured, before the Indian man sighed. "She…is right."

Hank smiled darkly. "I vote for war."

^&^&^&^

Apparently, the safe place Claire had been talking about was a tropical island in the Caribbean. Time had seemed to speed up, and Carter found himself on a beach, more of the women that had freed him buzzing about, trying to help him.

That was the strange part…everyone there was a woman, except him.

Carter frowned, glancing over at a young woman with reddish brown hair. "This isn't right…"

The woman smiled. "Its perfectly fine, Carter."

Carter didn't listen. "Sydney Bristow…Liz Sherman…I know for a fact your Pam Beasley…" The woman grinned, moving to feed him a grape, only for Carter to turn away. "Elizabeth Swan, Selene, Padme Amidala…" The women, hearing his voice, began to swarm him, all offer to help him. "Jean Gray, Wonder Woman…" The amazon princess began rubbing his shoulders and Jean massaged his feet. "Lara Croft…Arwen…" The explorer and the elf princess giggled, grabbing pillows from nowhere and playfully fighting each other. "Princess Jasmine…Ariel…" The Disney princesses began to strip and dance. "…I'm hallucinating, aren't I?"

"Of course your not!" Kelly Raegan shouted, appearing out of no where. "Now, I just decided I'm bi sexual…want to try me out? I'm hot to trot!"

"Yup, dreaming." Carter said, ignoring her as she tried to distract him

"No you're not!" Linda said quickly, Carter raising an eyebrow when he saw she was wearing a chocolate bikini.

Carter sighed, watching as Tina Linderman and Kate from LOST rubbed suntan lotion on him. "Pretty sure I am."

The women all groaned.

"No fun!"

"Had to figure it out!"

"Big meanie!"

Carter stared skyward. "I'm knocked out, still in Marie's estate, aren't I?"

Claire smiled sheepishly. "Maybe…."

"I never escaped. I'm still there, and in a while I will wake up and get tortured again."

"Got it in one." Marie Delpine said, on all fours and letting out fake sexy ooos as Princess Fiona spanked her. "I'm a bad girl…a baaaaadddd girl!"

"This is just my mind trying to escape." He said. "Though…is a bit worrisome that you are here, Claire."

Claire shrugged. "Don't look at me, I'm just a figment of your imagination. You're the one dreaming about your sister." She paused. "I'd be more worried about the Tranformer being here."

"That's Arcee." Carter stated, before frowning. "Yup, I'm learning all sorts of strange things about my taste in women every second." He decided to ignore Claire, who was currently trying to nuzzle him, and focus on the rest of the women. "So…there is nothing I can do to escape what Joseph has in store for me?"

"Sorry." Madrid said, appearing before him and stroking his cheek.

Carter closed his eyes. "Just great." He shrugged after a few moments. "Well, might as well make the best of it." The fantasy women all cheered as they surrounded him. "Arcee, you feed me grapes. Bulma, you can fan me…Madrid, you sit on my lap and watch as Buffy and Dawn Summers mud wrestle…"

^&^&^&^

"That is 20 to 20." The man in the suit, one of the no voters, declared. "Another vote must be held."

"And what if it is another tie?" Madrid asked, hopeful.

"We vote again…and again…until one side wins."

Madrid felt defeat crush her once more. None of the no voters would side with them…it was far more likely that one of teir allies would switch just to end the meeting. Even with Hank's last minute play…they had still lost.

Orlando stood up. "Wait!" he held out his hands. "What Hank has done…has made me think. Lord Tully, you did not tell the full account." He turned to Ashleigh. "Ashleigh, of the House of Delpine…you no longer carry that name, isn't that so?"

Ashleigh considered this. "I…I did take Malion as a last name."

Orlando smiled as he looked at his friend. "Should one of the alliance marry into a new family, and should this family contain a majority of super powered individuals…that family will be declared a House of the Alliance, if they are recognized by another house." He pointed to Lee. "I give you Lee Malion, who, with his mother, form a majority!" The room burst into exclaimations. "Therefore, I recognize the House of Malion, and call for them to vote!"

Lee smiled. "I call for war."

^&^&^&^

Joseph frowned. "Why the hell are you smiling?"

Carter flashed his torturer a grin. "Had a nice dream…lets get this over with, the girls are waiting for me."

^&^&^&^

"That is 21 to 20…the yes votes have it…" Vic smiled. "The Alliance declares war on Marie Delpine and the Sevens Horns!"

"You mean 22!" The Indian man said, deciding that he did not want to be on the losing side. "I change my vote!"

"As do I!"

"And I!"

Quickly, many of the heads of houses changed their votes, till only Lord Tully stood as the one vote against.

"I will never vote yes…even if you do declare war and raise an army…you have no where to march!"

"Yes we do."

All in the room turned as Malcolm Grant marched in, a large elctro-dart gun slung over his shoulder, dressed in one of the duplicate dusters Carter had gotten Madrid to create with her powers, his stocking cap over his head. He paused, looking at everyone.

"And what makes you say that?" Lord Tully demanded.

Malcolm grinned. "Because I know where Carter is…I know where Marie's stronghold is."

^&^&^&^

Author's Note: Carter's bit in here is one of my favorite things I have written. I love the fact that I appear to go against Show Canon for the first time in the story, then reveal that this is all a fevored dream. Of course, if I really wrote for heroes, I'd never get all these guest stars in...


	69. Turn and Face The Stranger

"It is a question we all ask, when we find ourselves standing at the twilight, wondering if this will be the end. What can one do when they know they might not live to see tomorrow? Will they cry? Will they rage against fate? Or will they seize what is left, and do what they never got to do, or will again?"

-Mohinder Suresh

^&^&^&^

It was an unspoken agreement between them all.

They would leave the Chateau at dawn the next day, to face a woman that had frightened the Alliance for so long that they had allowed her and her associates to murder as they saw fit. Defeat would mean their deaths, and the sacrifice of the man that had brought them all together. Victory would change their lives forever. Before this, they had reaped the benefits of the Alliance, but only been on the cusp. But now, should Marie and the Seven Horns fall, Carter would be the last true power within the organization, with Lee and Hank both now the heads of houses, and with that title the duties they would need to perform.

Nothing would be the same again.

Thus, without saying a word, they all agreed to take one final day, doing what they needed to do.

^&^&^&^

Hank grunted, his arm moving back and forth rapidly, bits of sawdust falling onto his legs and arms. His eyes narrowed as he examined the piece of wood, before continuing with his project.

"Almost done?" Biddy asked, standing in the doorway, watching the man she had fallen for so quickly continue his work.

"Not quite." Hank said. "Still need to varnish it…but you can see what it will look like."

Biddy walked forward, looking about the room. It was decidedly green, pastel and neutral, a peaceful yet empty place. A small dresser sat to one side, a rocker in the corner, a toy chest by the closet.

The piece that truly defined it though was currently being set up by Hank.

A crib.

"He'll love it." Biddy whispered.

Hank raised an eyebrow. "He?"

She nodded, leaning up to kiss him. "Yup."

Hank nodded, wrapping her arms around her. "Biddy…I've been thinking…" he turned away. "I don't want my son to be a Delpine." He glanced back at her. "And you don't either…don't even try and pretend you do." Biddy shut her mouth, quieting her weak protest. "I want our son to have a better name…let the Delpines end with me…our son will not have my parents sins."

"And what name do you want? Bargo isn't exactly blood free either."

"Daniels." Hank finally said. "I want our son to be named Daniels." He looked down at her. "Carter has always said he is the head of the House of Ellis. Our son will honor him by being the head of the House of Daniels."

Biddy frowned, something tugging at her memory.

"Biddy…I might not come back from this."

"Hank…"

He shook his head. "My mother needs to die, for what she did to you…and she won't let me go easily." He cupped her face in his hands. "I want you to promise me something…if it is a boy, and I'm not around to see him…don't name him after me."

She smiled. "Then who? Should I name him after Lee? Vic?"

Hank laughed. "You could name him Carter…if he will be a Daniels." He wrapped his arms around her, never noticing the tense look on her face.

^&^&^&^

"Hand me that brush, mom."

Ashleigh hurried over, passing the brush along, then moving back to allow her son time to work. Paint covered the floor in little splotches, and Lee's face had smears from where he had rubbed his checks, unwilling to stop even for an itch.

All around them were brushes of different sizes and textures, most covered in paint. It was Ashleigh's job to run them to the skin and clean them before Lee needed them again, or worst, before they dried and became useless.

"A bit of passion red…." Lee mumbled, grabbing a tiny brush and applying it to the wall. He stepped back, considering the work. "What do you think, mom?"

Ashleigh smiled, wrapping her arm around him. "Its amazing."

Lee glanced over at her. "Worth wasting your day helping me with?"

"My day is never wasted helping you." She said, looking at the paint.

8 feet by 15, the mural depicted Galatea, half sitting, half laying, her head resting on her arms, a slight smile on her lips as she peered out at her audience through half closed eyes. She was wearing a long white dress, a rose pinned in her blonde hair, gems draped along her neck.

"The one painting I'll never use my powers on." Lee whispered. "As much as I want to."

"She loves it, Lee."

"You mean she would love it?"

"No…she does." Ashleigh said. "God, as I have seen these last few months with Carter, is a kind God. He would not let someone like her disappear…she's watching over you Lee…and she loves this picture."

Lee smiled. "Thanks."

^&^&^&^

Vally giggled as she pointed at a picture. "That's not daddy!"

Helena smiled, pointing at the same picture. "Yes it is…that's your daddy."

Vally shook her head, pigtails flopping about. "That's a little boy…daddy's big and strong!"

The picture was the very first one Helena and Vic had of their precious son, taken the day they had adopted him. They were in the airport, 7 year old Carter clinging to his mother, her trying to get him to smile, the noise and chaos of the airport causing him to try and hide against her shirt. Next to it was a picture of 7 year old Carter on his father's shoulders, watching in amazement as a plane took off.

"But daddy started off as a little boy." Helena said gently, smiling down at the child who sat in her lap, Vic sitting beside her, turning the pages of the photo album.

Vally frowned. "You sure?"

"You saw the older you…same here."

Vally nodded, considering this. "Do you have baby daddy pictures?"

Vic frowned sadly. "No…no we don't. We adopted your dad when he was 7…before that he lived in the orphanage."

Vally narrowed her eyes. "His other mommy was a bad mommy." She grinned. "I told her so."

Helena raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

Vally began to excitedly tell her grandparents all about her trip to see Aunt Claire.

^&^&^&^

Micah Saunders, aka the mysterious Rebel, smiled as he watched Hiro and Ando continue on their voyage to protect Matt Parkman Jr. Turning to another screen, he paused when his cellphone began to ring.

He paused because no one had his number…

Deciding to take the risk, Micah picked up the phone, doing his best to disguise his voice.

"Hello?"

"Micah…what the hell is wrong with you voice?"

Micah's eyes widened. "Aunt Linda?"

Across the ocean, Linda Fray smiled. "Hey…long time no see. Last time I saw you was…" She sighed, frown fading.

"My mom's funeral."

Linda closed her eyes. "Yeah…I'm so sorry Micah."

Micah forced himself to remain calm. "Its ok…really…I'm dealing…"

"You shouldn't." Linda said. "Listen…I have something…something I'm dealing with. But once its finished…I swear I will come and see you…"

"Now's not the best time…" Micah said, turning back to one of his screens.

"You're not the only one saving the world, Rebel."

Micah froze.

"How…"

Linda chuckled. "Carter Daniels is staying in touch with his sister…you know Claire, right?" Micah groaned. "Not that hard to figure out, kiddo, when you remember what you can do." She cut him off before he could protest. "I'm the only one that knows…and I know people with deep pockets…we're the ones keeping the government from looking your way, hiding what you can do. They know about your powers, they just don't see you as a threat." She paused. "I promise you…once we have our stuff finished…I'll help you with this…ok?"

Micah nodded. "Ok."

"Hey…you and I need to stick together."

^&^&^&^

"Mrs. Daniels?"

Madrid turned her personal assistant, something she had sorely missed from her Hollywood starlet days and was glad to have back. Granted, the young man, Reinhold, was a lot better at his job than her previous assistants had been.

"Yes Reinhold?"

"The men you hired have arrived…"

Madrid smiled. "Show them in." She turned back to her desk, discreetly touching the gun she had strapped to her thigh, glad to know it was there. The men she had tasked with this were not through normal Alliance channels…no, this job required something different.

Thus, she was dealing with friends of Renee.

That made her nervous.

The three men entered, a scruffy bunch that work ill fitting suits and needed a shave. She didn't care about their hygiene or their looks, as long as they brought what she needed.

"Do you have it?"

The apparent leader nodded. "Right here…don't image you'll want to show it off, anytime soon…when they figure out we stole this…"

Madrid took the package for them, taking it over to her desk. After a moment, she brought it back. "You may return it."

"…what?"

"Double your fee, take it back. It is not what I require."

"But…"

Madrid shooed them away. "Thank you, don't come again." Slamming the doors in their faces, she went back to her desk, where the item she duplicated lay. "Carter is going to love you." She whispered.

With ease, Madrid lifted up the Kensei blade.

^&^&^&^

"When were you going to tell me?"

Derek glanced over at Biddy, startled from his prepping of his guns. "Uh…what?"

"I deserve to know the truth…things suddenly add up." She took several steps forward, poking him in the chest. "The way you act skittish around me, why you protected me when escaping Adriana's…but more than that, its something Linda told me…then something Hank just said."

"I don't…" Derek began.

"Don't lie to me." Biddy said harshly. "When were you going to tell me who you were?" She grabbed his by his shirt, pulling him close. "When were you going to tell me you were my son?"

Derek looked, ashamed. "I…I couldn't risk the timeline…you never said anything before, about meeting me…mom."

Biddy reached out, fingers gently lifting his chin up. "You have your father's eyes."

Derek smiled. "You always say that."

She nodded. "I suppose I do…" She leaned forward, kissing his brow. "I don't know what will happen…but know that in any timeline, I love you very much."

Derek nodded, tears in his eyes. "I love you too, mom…and I swear, I'll bring dad home."

She nodded. "I know you will."

^&^&^&^

"Funny…it takes the end of the world to get us around the dinner table."

Kelly and Tina frowned. "It isn't the end of the world, dad." Kelly commented, cutting into her steak.

Renee frowned. "You are facing off with a group of super powered people, who are trained to kill people with powers. There is this Adriana, who invented something that can block powers; Lorenzo, who controls bugs; any agents and soldiers they have gathered…and oh yeah, Marie, who has Carter's powers." She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, not the end of the world."

Tina shook her head. "Listen, the odds are not great, but its not like we are facing Doomsday here."

"Who?" Charlie asked, taking a bite of potatoes.

"…non-comic geeks…" Tina muttered.

"The point is…I don't like it Kelly."

Kelly leaned forward. "Listen…Carter has saved us so many times, I've lost count. I need to do this for him. Besides, thanks to Vally…" Kelly took her knife and snapped it in half. "I'm a lot stronger and faster."

Tina frowned. "Don't remind me…you and Hank nearly killed each other during the eclipse."

Charlie grit his teeth. "Seems like that eclipse caused a lot of these problems."

Kelly nodded, grabbing another knife. "Live and let live…we can argue about this and that, or we can have a nice meal. What do you say?"

"…I stole Lord Tully's wallet." Renee admitted.

"mom!" Kelly shouted.

Renee grinned.

^&^&^&^

"Aunt Linda?"

Linda turned, motioning for Sarah to enter the bedroom. The college professor was shifting herself off her bed and into her wheelchair, much to her annoyance.

"Don't mind me…what's on your mind?"

"You…actually." Sarah sat down on the bed, looking at her hands. "I was trained by a lot of you." She said softly. "Grandpa Carter taught me swordwork…my mom and dad are helping me with my powers…but you are the one that is teaching me about life." She smiled. "Not just school work…but the real world. I…never really got to thank you, back in my time, for taking me on all those field trips…"

Linda smiled. "Boring museums?"

"Mountain climbing." Sarah answered honestly.

Linda frowned. "Two problems with that, Sarah…first off, I'll be…what, around 60 when you are, or already are…" She growled, frustrated with time travel. "You get the idea."

Sarah smiled gently. "Its as Uncle Gabe said…mortality is so last year."

Linda held up a hand. "I know what you are hinting at…and I don't want to know about it. I can't imagine living to 90, let alone forever." She paused. "Second, how could I take you mountain climbing in…" She gestured at her chair.

Sarah sighed. "Took a long time, from what mom tells me, for you to get better…she did say you would walk again, it would just take…"

"years. Years upon years."

Sarah nodded. "Aunt Kelly trained me too." Linda frowned at the strange of conversation. "You can't tell now, but she will be the greatest thief that ever lived. At least…until I begin really trying." Sarah lifted her hand up, revealing a small syringe, filled with a red liquid. "I think this will make a good start."

"What is that?"

"Adam Monroe's blood." Sarah said with a smile, suddenly jamming it in Linda's leg. Linda yelped as Sarah injected her…then frowned as she realized that she felt the needle.

"How…"

Sarah smiled. "We're going to need you out there tomorrow…I'm breaking the rules…but time can deal."

Linda didn't hear anything else, tears pooling in her eyes as, for the first time in months, she moved her legs.

^&^&^&^

"This isn't how I wanted to do this?" Malcolm whispered as the priest droned on.

"You mean you wanted to do a big fancy event?"

"No, I mean I didn't want to do it in France." He leaned in closer, the priest glaring at them but continuing. "I'll make it up to you, I swear."

Ellie smiled, nuzzling him. "Don't…being here with you is enough."

"Malcolm Grant." The priest intoned, "Do you take Eleanor Mardest, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for all the days of your life?"

"And beyond." Malcolm said with a smile.

Ellie adjusted the cheap white veil she had bought on her way to the church. "And do you, Eleanor Mardest…"

"I bloody well do!" Ellie shouted, grabbing Malcolm by the lapel and forcing him into a deep, hot kiss.

"…well then…by the power granted to me by the Almighty and by lady France…I pronounce you husband and wife…and since you got to the kissing…" He turned to Valencia, who had served as their witness. "I give to you Mr and Mrs. Malcolm Grant."

Valencia grinned. "About damn time." She walked up to the happy couple, giving each a hug.

Ellie pulled Valencia close. "In your timeline…my Malcolm was too stubborn to have you whammy him, right? Refused doing it, because he wanted to prove himself." Valencia nodded. "And now he's going to leave me to risk his life…I see you forgot a wedding gift, Valencia….nudge nudge."

Valencia, taking the hint, placed her hands on each of their shoulders, Malcolm turning from his thanking of the priest when the chaos lines flared and his body went rigid. He could feel his powers snapping into place, growing stronger, in control…and feel a strength fill his limbs and coat his soul. He turned back to Ellie, who grinned, feeling the same power.

"You did say you'd have me forever." She whispered, kissing him before he could protest.

^&^&^&^

Gabriel held out his hand, a futuristic audio device appearing. Selecting a song, he leaned back as Nickelback bean to play.

My best friend gave me the best advice  
He said each days a gift and not a given right  
Leave no stone unturned  
Leave your fears behind  
And try to take the path less traveled by  
That first step you take is the longest stride

If today was your last day  
If tomorrow was too late  
Could you say goodbye to yesterday  
Would you live each moment like your last  
Leave old pictures in the past  
Donate every dime you have  
If today was your last day

Going against the grain should be a way of life  
What's worth the price is always worth the fight  
Every second counts cause there's no second try  
So live it like you're never living twice  
Don't take the free ride in your whole life

If today was your last day  
If tomorrow was too late  
Could you say goodbye to yesterday  
Would you live each moment like your last  
Leave old pictures in the past  
Donate every dime you have  
And would you call old friends you never see  
Reminisce old memories  
Would you forgive your enemies  
And would you find that one your dreaming of  
Swear up and down to god above  
That you'll finally fall in love  
If today was your last day

^&^&^&^

"Not smiling now, are you?" Joseph taunted as he played with Carter's sword, using it to slice the young man's skin every so often. "Where's your messiah now?" He sneered, stabbing Carter in the leg.

Carter grit his teeth in pain, the collar shocking as his body tried to heal its wounds. He muttered something, Joseph tilting his head.

"What was that…didn't hear you."

"They…will…forgive…you…"

Joseph grabbed Carter by the scalp. "One more time? I'm the master of sound and even I can't understand…"

"Your wife…your unborn child…" Carter whispered, blood dripping from his lips. "The ones the Company killed…they will forgive you."

Joseph tried to hide the fact he was trembling. "You…don't talk about them…"

"But Joseph…" Carter whispered. "I need to tell you something…come closer." Joseph, against his better thoughts, did so. "I'm not going to kill you…that would be too easy. You are going to live…I'm going to lock you up…make you wait decades…before I let you see them again…let all the blood on your hands dry and stain…then I'll let them see you as you truly are." Carter chuckled weakly as his vision got cloudy. "Suck…on that...bitch."

And then he was out cold.

Joseph tore the sword from Carter's flesh, staring at his blood covered reflection in the blade.

Suddenly torture wasn't as fun as it had been.

^&^&^&^

Since Volume Two

(We see Madrid and the rest of Carter's allies standing together, in front of hundreds of Alliance members and soldiers)

The Seven Horns Have Terrorized Them

(We see Carter coughing up blood)

Next Week

(We see Marie walk up to Carter)

Learn How It All Began

(Marie talks a chair and sits down)

Marie: Tell me…Carter Daniels…did you truly think you were the first Voice of God?

Elsewhere

Volume 4

Fugitives

The Final 3 Chapters Begin April 13th


	70. 1961

"Nuh uh."

Madrid looked down at Vally, amused as the little girl stared up at her, a petulant look on her face. Vally was dressed in a pair of jeans, a black and pink shirt, a pair of little shoes in one hand, a Nerf baseball bat in the other, the special bear strapped to her back.

"Is that so?" Madrid asked.

Vally nodded. "Yup." She made to race forward, only for Madrid to stop her. "Mama!" She whined.

"You are not coming."

Vally shook her head. "Yes I am! Daddy needs me!"

Madrid knelt down. "Yes he does…daddy needs you safe, not fighting the Seven Horns."

The toddler glared at her mother. "I'm strongest! Fastest! Bestest! I'm Supergirl!"

Madrid smiled. "That you are…but daddy would never forgive us if you went. He would want you to stay here with grandma and grandpa."

Vally crossed her arms in annoyance. "Daddy's a poop head."

"Vally…" Madrid warned.

Vally sighed. "Fine." She set the baseball bat down. "Not fair though."

"I know."

"We all set?" Tina asked, poking her head into Vally's room. "The planes are waiting."

Madrid nodded, giving Vally a quick hug. "Daddy and I will be home real quick, pumpkin." She kissed her daughter's forehead, then turned to Tina. "Lets go."

^&^&^&^

Carter groaned. He could feel a drop of blood inching its way slowly down his forehead and onto his nose. It would have been annoying, if not for the fact that about a million other drops of blood were doing the same thing.

The spikes still tore into his wrists, the rough wood tearing into his back. His bare chest was covered in slashes and burns. His jeans, the only pieces of clothing he had left, were coated in body fluid, stained and stiffed.

"Aren't you just a wonderful image of Christianity?"

Carter glared at her. "I never said I was a messiah…so the whole crucifying me thing…all your sick joke."

Marie shrugged. "More like Joseph. The man has a twisted view of the world…I see that as well as you." Marie took a folding chair, one Joseph had enjoyed using to beat Carter with, and sat down in front of him, legs crossed and looking to all the world as if she were in a business meeting. "It should not be this way, you know, you and me at arms."

Carter raised an eyebrow. "is that a fact?

"We are the same person, Carter Daniels, just on different parts of the path. You lay at the beginning, filled with vigor and hope and delusion. I lay at the end, seeing the world and God for what they truly are."

The young man just stared at her. "Joseph hit me harder than I thought."

"I wonder…who was it that named you the Metatron, the Voice of God? Was it the Lord Himself?"

Carter shook his head. "A messenger…you should know that I died and was resurrected."

Marie nodded. "Yes, that. Are you sure it was God's doing? The Company brought Noah Bennet back…Valencia brought your wife back…"

Carter shook his head. "I saw Heaven, Marie. I witnessed its glory."

She smiled mockingly. "And now you don't get to see it again…immortal."

"To live is a greater gift than Heaven." Carter stated. "Something so few understand. And as I told Joseph, Heaven can be worse than Hell."

Marie smiled. "How strange…my son was once the man who prayed to God and you used your newspaper to attack him. Now, he lives in sin with that whore, Biddy, and you are a servant to the almighty." She chuckled. "Sadly for you, you chose the wrong side."

"is that so?"

Marie nodded. "But of course…you see Carter Daniels…" She leaned in close. "You are not the first Metatron."

^&^&^&^

"She's pouting." Vic muttered, sitting down next to Renee and Charlie. Of the group, it had been decided that Renee, Charlie, Vic and Helena would stay behind to guard Vally with about 12 of the Alliance's elite guards. They had tried to convince Ellie, but the Malcolm's blushing bride had calmly stated that where her husband went she went, and if that meant war, so be it.

However, it seemed that they weren't protecting Vally as they were trying to pacify her The toddler was enraged that she wasn't allowed to go save her daddy, and she was letting everyone know. When Madrid had gotten ready to leave, turning one last time to wave bye to Vally, she had found the little girl had grabbed every pot in the kitchen as was banging on them as hard as she could with the baseball bat she had snatched earlier. This had gone on for an hour before Vally had decided a new tactic.

For, in Vally's world, Dora the Explorer was torture.

Thus why the TV had been blaring it for hours, the strains of "Swiper no swiping!' echoing in the rooms.

Finally though, even Vally had grown sick of this and turned the TV off, moving to sulk in her room, though they could hear her stomping on the floor every once and a while.

"We should drop her down on Marie." Renee muttered. "But then, that might be too cruel to the Seven Horns."

^&^&^&^

Carter stared at Marie, trying to figure out what her game was.

"It is no game." She stated, knowing what he must be thinking. "Before you were but a twinkle in your father's eye, there was me, your predecessor, the first Metatron."

Carter glared at her. "Liar."

Marie steepled her fingers. "Oh, I very much doubt that." She leaned forward. "You don't know much about me, do you, Mr. Daniels? Allow me to inform you of what I have witnessed, of why I know God cares little for those He chooses.

"I was born in 1961. My family was of a middle house within the Alliance, not as powerful as the Delpines or yours, but still strong enough to warrant us some privilege. My parents were loyal to the cause, and gave me all I could want or ask.

"It was when I was in my late teens that my abilities began to appear. They developed much like yours, first with needing to speak an emotion, then growing stronger and broader. Though, I will admit, I never did get those fascinating flames that you so do love to wield." She paused, watching as Carter's power-blocking collar sparked. "Trying to flame up now?"

Carter struggled against his bonds. "Oh, if I only could…"

"But you can't, silly boy, and that makes all the difference." Marie paused, trying to remember where she was with her story. "Ah, yes, my power. I had begun to develop my ability when I was approached by…him."

^&^&^&^

(1978)

Marie O'Donald narrowed her eyes, focusing on the man standing on the street corner below. A grin spread across her lips as he fell to his knees, clutching his head.

"Quite impressive."

Marie turned, startled by the sudden appearance of an old man, dressed in dark robes, his withered bearing a blue dragon tattoo, the Chinese serpent dragon curling around his right cheek and down his neck.

The teen held up her hand, ready to force him to his knees, but the man merely wagged his finger.

"Not nice to do that, when I come bearing gifts."

"Sorry, freaky, but I am in no mood for your 'gifts'." She turned to leave.

"God has chosen you."

Marie paused. "Excuse me?"

"You have the ability to strike down the wicked and the corrupt…God has need of this ability." The man held out his hands. "I have been tasked to gather together 7 to stand against the darkness of this world, to reform it. And you…my dear…I wish to lead these 7."

Marie frowned. "And why should I?"

"Because you will be rewarded. All shall know your name…Marie, the Voice of God, the Metatron."

Marie considered this. Power…fame…it was what she had always wanted, to move up within the Alliance, to gather the envy of others…

"And who are you to offer this…?"

The man smiled, his teeth yellowed and sharp. "They call me…Drago."

^&^&^&^

(Present Day)

"This…Drago…you believed him?"

"You believed Seth when he stated your cause." Marie countered. She leaned back, amused. "When you are the one on a holy mission, it makes sense, but for all others it is lies, hmm?"

Carter rolled his eyes. "I died…a guy with a tattoo talked to you. Differences."

"So says you." Marie stated. "As I said…we are much alike, Carter. We both can make the mind dance and twirl with a twitch of our fingers, we have both been tasked to save the world…and like you, I gathered allies…"

^&^&^&^

(1978)

A blast of fire flew through the air, signaling that they should stop. Marie looked up from where she lay, having just taken a hard jab from Flint, to where Drago stood. At his side was an aloft, dark young man, watching them as they fell into line.

"Fresh meat." Roddrick whispered.

"Allow me to introduce your newest member. His name is Lorenzo Bast." Drago glanced over at the young man. Lorenzo gave him a bored look. "Give him the proper welcome."

Flint grinned, cracking his fists. The cement below them shattered and flew as the earth rose up, forming a crud fist.

Lorenzo flipped his hand slightly, Marie watching as a swarm of flies burst into the room. They covered the three of them, buzzing and twitcihing. Flint and Roddrick turned their powers towards the bugs, deserpate to get them off.

"They ain't so…" Lorenzo began, only to pause when the flies surrounding Marie fell to the ground, dead.

Marie raised an eyebrow. "I killed them…" She held up a hand, forcing Lorenzo to his knees. "I hope your mind is stronger."

"Enough!" Drago roared, grabbing her wrist and nearly breaking it. "I said a proper welcome…not to kill him."

Marie glared at him, rubbing her bruised wrist. "As you wish."

^&^&^&^

"And…much like you…I found love."

^&^&^&^

(1979)

"Is this how you greet all the new arrivals?"

Marie smirked, taking a drag off her cigarette. The blankets were twisted around her nude form, damp with sweat. Her eyes were heavy, her body lax and calm.

"Yes." She stated, letting loose a stream of smoke. "So don't think this means anything." She paused, savoring the moment. "Please get the hell out of m bed."

The man nodded, grabbing his jeans. "I assume I shouldn't ask if we can do this again?"

"Damn straight." Marie stated. She turned her head as he slipped on his jeans. "I didn't catch your name."

"Merrick." The man said. "Merrick Delpine."

^&^&^&^

Marie puckered her lips in disgust. "For years, I trained with Drago and the other 6 he selected to fight. He told us at first we would be servants of God…that we would be stronger than God. But I saw through his lies…saw what this power had cost me. My freedom, my childhood…God stole it from me. And then, what did I get in return? A lifetime of servitude, that is what! Drago demanded us to be his slaves, so that he would be able to wipe out the wicked. I gave up m family, my friends, what should have been my happiest times, just for that?

"God's price is too high, Carter Daniels. You will learn that soon enough. You will see that the MorningStar was right…better to rule in Hell than serve in Heaven." Marie scoffed. "I struck down Drago…and I took the 7 Horns as my own. I do not do God's work…I do my own. It is the only way to see that all I love is saved."

"Hahahahaha."

Marie looked up, disturbed as Carter began to laugh darkly, his eyes filled with malice.

"What do you find oh so amusing, Carter? Is it that you finally see what awaits you and how you should remove yourself from this foolish notion that you serve a caring God?"

"No." Carter whispered, looking up at her. "I'm laughing because I see something funny. And that something is you. God never chose you, why would he? You never were committed to the mission, you just wanted power and fame." He smiled, licking his teeth. "You were had, Marie. Had by a con man. And you know it. Its easier though, to deny it, but you know…I think you even enjoy it. Because it gives you an excuse to do evil, to be selfish. And now, with your husband dead, your son hating you, and the Alliance at your door with swords drawn, you can't dare blame yourself…you blame God.

"God had nothing to do with this. You were a fool from the start, allowing yourself to go down this path. Only you are to blame for what has happened. So stop giving me a pity party, because you don't have much time left on this Earth." Carter closed his eyes, still grinning like a mad man. "My friends are coming, Marie. Malcolm Grant is leading them hear."

Marie raised an eyebrow. She was enraged that Carter was blowing off her trauma so flippantly, but she was more disturbed by his belief that he would be saved.

They had made it clear that was impossible.

"And how will me find us?" Marie asked. "Have I not told you already of the dampers Adriana placed around this building, blocking us from all in the world. Mindreaders, trackers…not even your lesbian whore Kelly Raegan or your annoying brat Valencia could find us."

Carter nodded. "Yes, you did explain all you did to block us from my friends powers…tell me Marie…what are you using to block the chip?"

"…what chip?"

"The tracking chip in my shoulder…the one Malcolm put in me." Carter said with a grin.

Marie's eyes widened as she raced over, horror growing in her heart as she saw the very slightly raised patch of skin on Carter's shoulder. Pulling out a knife, Carter hissed as she sliced his skin open, pulling out the small tracking device, no different than one a person would put in their dog if they feared the pup running away.

"Don't you get it, Marie?" Carter asked. "You've been conned again!" He reared back his head, laughing hysterically. "You idiot! All this torture…all this abuse…I knew it was coming! Malcolm saw it! I planned this! From the moment I walked into Adriana's mansion, I knew what was coming!" His voice grew fevered, his power-blocking collar letting out a rain of sparks as it struggled to hold his powers in check. "I let you capture me!"

EEEE-EEEE-EEEE

Marie looked up as the alarms sounded all over the stronghold.

Carter laughed. "They've come …"

"Marie!" Lorenzo's voice called out as he rushed past the room. "We're under attack!"

^&^&^&^

Malcolm Grant stared at the stronghold in disgust.

"Give the word, luv."

Madrid nodded, holding up the Kensei blade. "FIRE!"

Linda nodded as Marie's own personal troops swarmed out of the stronghold. Her troops, all energy and elemental projectors, let loose their powers.

Helena smiled as the backed into Vally's room, the tray of food held firmly in her hands. "Vally, I made sandwiches…" She turned around…and the tray slipped from her fingers. She stared in horror at the shattered window, the ripped open dresser drawers, the absence of the special bear. "VIC!"

^&^&^&^

The boom filled the mountain air as the sound barrier was shattered.

Just above the two armies, a being made of red energy slowed down, stopping to stare down at the stronghold from her position.

"**Daddy**." Vally whispered, voice sounding much like Eden's. She was dressed all in black, the special bear strapped to her back, a heavy metal baseball bat replacing the nerf one she had held earlier. Her eyes narrowed as she watched the battle, body tensing before she rocketed towards the battleground, whammy flames glow hotter than the sun.

^&^&^&^

The Time Has Come

(We see Madrid giving the order to fire)

The Two Part Season Finale of Elsewhere is Here.

(Joseph stands on a balcony, watching the battle rage)

The Alliance vs. The Seven Horns

(We see Kelly and Tina back to back, firing at Marie's agents)

Good Will Battle Evil

(Malcolm and Madrid race towards the stronghold)

And The World Will Know Fear

(We see Marie smile as she holds out her hand, behind her we see Carter hung up for all to see)

ELSEWHERE

Fugitives

Chapter 71- I AM SYLAR: April 20th

Chapter 72- THE INVISIBLE THREAD: April 27th

Will you be there…when everything changes?


	71. I AM METATRON

"Shielders!" Marie commanded, looking over the balcony as the forces of the Alliance attacked her stronghold. She was not on her own, however, for within the stronghold there were move than the Seven Horns. Her agents, as she called them, members of lower houses, seeking glory and fortune by working for her, would now come to her aid.

The telekinetics that she commanded sprung into actions, sending up psychic shields to hold back the assault. Fire and water, winds and earth, energy of all sorts slammed into the multiple barriers, trying to break through.

"Long Guns!" She called out, signaling for her own long range attackers to unleash their powers. Stone walls suddenly sprouted holes as Marie's agents pulled open secret attack holes, firing out their own blasts at the Alliance.

^&^&^&^

Biddy turned to Valencia, unable to stop herself from flinching when a lightning bolt struck near her. "Can't you just…you know…whammy them?"

Valencia shook her head, watching the first skirmish commence. "My flames wouldn't know the difference between friend and foe. I fire upon them, I hit my dead. I rip away his powers, I could kill him." She nodded to Derek, who was using his dimension ripping powers to open up holes in space to suck up the attacks. "Derek doesn't have a clue where my dad is, so I can't have him warp in there, and Gabriel's powers are for attacking, not for retrieval."

"What about Sarah?" Biddy asked.

"Sarah can't get her powers to work…we aren't sure what she can do….duck!" Valencia dove out of the way as a blast of sludge broke through their barrier. It hit Biddy, forcing her to pause before her powers sent it rocketing back. "Which means…" Valencia said, turning back to the battle, "we have to get a lot closer."

^&^&^&^

"Lorenzo, report." Marie demanded.

"Both sides hold strong, for the moment." Lorenzo stated. "I fear, however, that with our limited shielders, fatigue will cause us to come under fire unprotected."

Marie nodded, considering her options. "Perhaps we send a flyer…we do have one or two in the ranks, correct? They could be of much use in a more wide range assault, dashing the Alliance's hopes and sends us to glorious victory."

Gabriella nodded. "Not many, I think perhaps two…"

Joseph opened his mouth, letting out a terrible shriek that forced all around him to clutch their ears.

"I did not come to this stronghold to sit here like cowards." He drew forth the godfire blade, twirling Carter's stolen katana. "We saw how that worked out for Helms Deep and Minas Tirith…and I doubt we have any wizards or ghosts coming to our aid." He leapt up onto the stone wall, looking out over the battlefield. "No…if we want to win…" He snapped his fingers, letting fly a sound blast that struck the Alliance's shielding. "We must take to the ground."

Lorenzo frowned. "Suicide."

"Perhaps…but it is better than sitting here." Gabriella closed her eyes, shadows escaping her and gathering the sunlight to strengthen her. "I can cover our forces…Joseph will deafen them. It will be like lambs at slaughter."

Marie licked her lips, watching as another blast of water pounded on their psychic barrier. "You have begged for destruction and death for some time, Joseph. It appears you will finally gain what you desire."

Joseph rubbed his hands together. "Gabriella, call for the first wave." He turned to Marie. "There is more that must be done to defeat them. We must bring their spirits, as well as their bodies." He gave a truly devilish grin to all. "Where is the Metatron?"

^&^&^&^

"Their sending out their ground forces." Lee said, glancing over at Malcolm. "Just like you predicted."

"Most likely event, that is all." Malcolm said, watching as Marie's agents swarmed out of the stronghold. "Lee, you're up."

Lee nodded, pulling out a large handful of paper. He turned to his mother, nodding for her to begin.

Ashleigh focused, dupes of herself freeing themselves from her body. Lee began to pass the paper out. "They will fight well, but they need a leader."

"Then I guess I'm next." Gabriel said, yanking down his black mask. The lenses he wore flashed purple, his body covered in flames before they retreated. Gabriel was now covered head to toe in body armor, a motorcycle underneath him. "Ladies!" He held up his hand, before letting it drop. "Charge!"

The women nodded, rushing forward. Lee focused, and the papers turned into living swords, ones with teeth that would bite onto an opponent and never let go. Gabriel lowered his head, purple flames raging as he recalled a gun from within him.

"This is what you get for taking my dad!" He roared, firing off his weapon as he raised into the heart of the agents' fie wave. Behind him, he could hear the Ashleigh dupes battling the agents, with the heavy hitters of the Alliance joining the fray. "Come on boys!" Gabriel shouted, absorbing his motorcycle and calling forth more flames to take the shape of a large berserker sword. "Lets dance!"

He swung about madly, fists and steel and bullets and energy blasts pounding into his armor, scratching and ripping into it. When one piece would fall, purple flames would appear, replacing it. Guns fell to the ground as Gabriel emptied them like mad, changing what sort of weapon he was using within seconds.

"Oh, you want to get rough!" he snarled as one particually nasty looking bruiser grabbing him by the air. Gabriel smirked under his mask as a grenade appeared in his free hand. "I can heal…can you?" he asked, before smashing the explosive into the man.

One minute later, Gabriel slowly pulled himself from the crater, grunting as the stub where his right arm had been reformed into a full limb.

"Ok…that hurt worse than I remembered." He muttered. He rubbed his jaw. "Well…atleast I didn't blow off half my face this time." He focused, reforming his armor and rushing back into the fray.

^&^&^&^

"It seems Carter's time traveling brats are giving the Alliance a rather unfair advantage." Lorenzo commented.

"There is no such thing as unfair." Joseph stated, still perked on the wall.

"…in war?" Lorenzo asked.

Joseph shrugged. "War, life, death, scrabble…everything." He held up his hand, snapping his fingers and slaughtering 20 of the Ashleigh dupes. "Nothing is fair…nothing is luck or fate…it just happens." He nodded towards where the bulk of the Alliance's army still lay. "Look at Valencia…Carter's time traveling eldest. She could end this in a moment…but she's afraid we have her father in the line of fire. She believes there is a connection…except there isn't. At all."

Lorenzo glanced at Joseph, nose wrinkled in disgust. "I understand now, why you hate Carter Daniels."

"What's to understand?" Joseph asked, never turning to look at Lorenzo. "The Company considers him a threat…a threat greater than me. That…doesn't make me happy."

"The Company is dead." Lorenzo stated.

"And yet Daniels lives." He paused. "I thought I asked for him."

"We'll bring him soon." Lorenzo stated, continuing on even as the battle raged. "But the fact remains, I know the real reason you hate Carter Daniels. Its because he…is you. The you…you wish you could be. A wife…a child…a purpose…"

SNAP

Lorenzo groaned, looking up from where he had been thrown by the blast.

"Enough." Marie snarled, staring out over the battlefield. "I sense something…a change in the wind."

^&^&^&^

"Ten more steps…watch out for the idiot on the left."

"I see him." Hank muttered.

Kelly rolled her eyes. "Sure you did."

The young woman held Hank's hand tight as the two of them made their way through Marie's stronghold, dodging the agents that were swarming out of the building. Hank was focused on hiding them, Kelly working on getting them to where Carter was held.

"He's moving." She whispered. "Their moving him…take the stairway to the right…" She looked down at their hands as they climbed the stairs. "You know, a year ago, if someone had told me I was holding your hand, I'd assumed it was severed, me having cut it off after you made Carter cry again."

"Again?" Hank asked, grinning. "I made him cry?"

"Hank…" She warned.

"Seriously…like real tears, sobbing like a baby?" He laughed.

"You do remember you are his friend now, right?"

"Yeah, yeah…seriously, he cried?"

"Hank!" Kelly snarled. "If you say a word to Carter…"

"He'll cry?" hank asked…

…only to slam face first into a agent, breaking his concentration and revealing the two of them.

"Well…what do we have here?" The man asked, iron spikes erupting from his skin.

"…damn you Carter and your crying." Hank muttered.

^&^&^&^

"Why do I have to ride on your back!?" Malcolm screamed, his arms wrapped tightly around Madrid.

"Because you might be immortal now, but I have immortality, super speed, strength, and a much more offensive power." Flexing her legs, Madrid leapt into the air, flying high above where Gabriel and the Ashleigh clones were battling, landing at the gate of the stronghold. Several agents moved to shut the doors, but Madrid merely summoned several extra arms, using their strength to rip the metal away.

"I can bloody well walk through here!" Malcolm snapped.

Madrid shook her head. "Need to get to my man quick, and you said you needed to be at my side…that means we stick together." She raced up the steps, ignoring the sounds of battle, making her way to the balcony. "Chaos lines telling you anything?"

Malcolm eyes went cloudy for a moment. "I wish you'd have bloody well put me down…"

Madrid screamed, clutching her head, sending Malcolm flying into a wall, bones cracking as he landed with a thud, out cold. Madrid fell to her knees, screaming as she clawed as her skull.

"Your husband use to be able to do this." Marie said, holding out her hand and watching as Madrid cried out. "You know…we could never properly torture him…never thought of doing this."

Madrid managed to turn her head, staring in horror as she gazed at her husband crucified form. Joseph had gotten several agents to move Carter out onto the balcony, lumber and all, so that the entire Alliance could see him. He was screaming in outrage in pain, the power blocking collar shocking him violently, blood pouring from freshly opened wounds. The collar reved, and Carter let out a bloodcurdling scream before he passed out.

"DAD!" Valencia screamed, breaking rank and run towards her father, bursting into her glowing Will of God form.

"Hmmm…" Marie turned towards the battleground, just making out Valencia Daniels' red energy form as it rocketed towards her, the woman ready to rip Marie's powers away. Holding out a hand, the leader of the Seven Horns chuckled as Valencia tumbled to a stop below the stronghold, screaming as she clutched her head in agony.

Before any of them could react, Marie held up her hands, sending everyone below her, both enemy and ally, to their knees, terror and agony ripping away at their brains. She let out a laugh as she poured it on, enjoying it as they twitched.

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen." She whispered, flicking her hand, delighting in the screams. Joseph rubbed his hands together, soaking up the pain that swelled around them. "Scream for mommy…"

Gabriella frowned. "Why is one of them still standing?"

Marie followed Gabriella's extended finger, at last settling on the trembling form of Sarah Daniels. The young woman was nearly half a mile away, but they could see she still stood, still functioned.

Then…the white flames exploded from her.

Sarah rose off the ground. Marie watched on in amazement as Valencia and Derek Daniels' daughter went into her Metatron form for the first time.

"**Get away from my family!**" She roared, the flames burning hotter and sending her rocketing towards them. Marie held up her hand, sending more fear commands at Sarah.

The girl ate them up like they were candy, and her flames grew brighter.

"How interesting…" Joseph whispered as Sarah reached the balcony, forcing them to scatter as she threw fireballs at them. "Her powers are based in the brain. But instead of causing fear and terror, she absorbs them and uses them to activate her powers…fire, and lots of it."

Sarah grit her teeth. "**Yeah…bored now.**" She called upon a massive fireball, hurling it at Joseph. He slammed his hands together, the clap bouncing the flames away.

"Good form…" Joseph snapped his fingers, and Sarah screamed as her leg snapped. She fell, her flames dying as she focused on healing herself. Joseph pranced up to her and kicked her in the ribs. "But you need more training to beat the likes of me. Here there be tigers."

"HEY!"

Joseph turned just in time to get smacked by a baseball bat, his jaw cracking.

Vally held the bat up, wiggling it at them, the toddler standing between the Seven Horns and her daughter from the future. "Stay away from my Sarah!"

Gabriella laughed. "This is just too weird…" She marched towards Vally, only to get smashed in the knee for her trouble. "Son of a bitch!" Shadows blasted out of her, seizing around Vally and smothering her. The little girl squealed in fright, dropping her back as Gabriella back handed the toddler to the ground.

"NO!" Madrid screamed, pulling out her gun and shooting Gabriella in the shoulder. Even as the Brazilian woman fell, Marie held out her hand and tampered with Madrid's brain once more, sending her into seizures.

"And now the entire family is here. Mommy, daddy, and the baby too…and the baby's baby. A bounce." Marie smiled, turning once more to Madrid, the former actress struggling to fight off Marie's attack. "Don't bother…my powers are much more cruel than Carter's. You can't fight mine off…but don't worry…when I'm done with you, these last few minutes will feel like bliss…compared to what I am going to inflict…"

Click

"Get…away from her." Malcolm snarled, keeping his gun trained on Marie. He turned to the others. He still lay on the ground, his own head pounding from the secondhand effects of Marie's tampering. If it weren't for the chaos lines, he would have given in by now. "Call off your dogs, Marie…now!"

Marie nodded, motioning for them to wait. "take the shot, Malcolm Grant…if you can." She grinned, holding out her arms, fingers wiggling as she played with his brain chemicals.

Malcolm glared at Marie, fighting to shake off the sheer terror she was pounding into them. The chaos lines screamed, telling him exactly what he had to do, demanding that he raise his arm.

His gun was heavy. It weighed down his hand and felt as if it were a thousand pounds. The single shot in it was heavy, heavier than if it had been fully loaded. Sighting it in was torture, but Malcolm endured the pain.

BANG

The British man lowered his head, his energy spent as he curled in on himself.

Marie chuckled. "All that work, all that pain and suffering…and you miss your one shoot? How every sad, how very pathetic, how very…anti-climatic."

Malcolm stared up at her, his eyes glassy as his mind screamed. "Who…who said…I…I…I…was aiming…for….you?"

RIP

Marie slowly turned, eyes flowing the path the large shock bullet had taken. It had gone over her shoulder, down the hall…

…and right through the power blocking collar Carter wore.

RIP

Carter fell to the ground, the collar sparking as he rubbed his sore wrists, blood coating his palms as he touched the spike wounds. He reached up slowly, fingers clasping around the smoking metal of the collar. With a violent tug he ripped it free, revealing the hole in his neck where the bullet had flown through.

Within seconds it began to heal.

The young man flexed his muscles, the scars and open wounds from where Joseph had wiped him sealing shut. He stood to his full height, bare feet planted on the floor as he rotated his shoulders. Carter slowly began to walk towards them, the bones in his neck popping as he turned his head right and left, working out the kinks.

WHen he stood within striking distance of Marie's inner circle, each tense and ready, Carter held up his hand, the skin glowing bright silver. The air around them seemed to pulse for a moment, the only warning before Carter unleashed his largest whammy blast ever.

But it was not aimed at Marie.

No, this blast struck his friends, family, and the Alliance, each of them feeling their minds ripped free of Marie's actions. More than this, a courage none had ever felt filled their veins, instilling within each the drive to stand. They all raised their heads, watching as Carter's entire body began to glow silver, two massive blasts of whammy energy erupted from his back like angel wings, eyes glowing gold, terrible yet beautiful white light pouring out of his throat like a miniature sun.

"Behold the Metatron," Malcolm whispered, "Master of the House of Ellis"

"Daddy." Vally whispered, Carter's head snapping in her direction as the toddler slowly stood, wiping the tears from her eyes. Her father's attention was drawn instantly to the blood that clung to the already healed slash on her forehead.

"**Who**?" Carter whispered, the quiet tone shaking all around him like a clap of thunder, the building itself seeming to quiver in fear.

Vally pointed at Gabriella.

Before any could react, Carter superspeeded to where Brazilian woman lay, still clutching the bullet wound Madrid had given her. Carter's hand lashed out, grabbing her by the throat and lifting her up. She didn't even have time to scream before whammy flames erupted over her body, Carter's glowing eyes filled with malice.

After a minute, the flames died to reveal Gabriella's corpse, her face twisted in absolute terror, fingers forever clutching at Carter's wrist in vain. Air blasted through Carter's nostrils as he threw her aside like a ragdoll, turning once more to the remaining Seven Horns, never once turning to watch as Gabriella's skull smashed open like a watermelon on the ground far below them.

"Carter" Madrid called out, running to his side. She held out the Kensei blade, her husband taking it without question. "Malcolm, get my daughter out of here…in the next 10 seconds, you aren't going to want to be anywhere near here."

Malcolm nodded, tossing her Carter's duster. "Don't have to bloody well ask me twice." He ran over to Vally, snatching the toddler up and hurrying to any safe location he could find.

"**Now then…**" Carter stated, eying up his enemies, his wife as his side, ready to do what needed to be done. He pointed his sword at them, the blade igniting in flames as Madrid slipped his duster over his shoulders.

^&^&^&^

"The most important of all our tasks is to remember who we are. Friend or foe, parent or child, leader or follower. We must know ourselves, if we are to know those around us. For it is only when we truly know ourselves that we can answer the most important of questions: What will we do to protect that which is ours?"

-Mohinder Suresh

^&^&^&^

Carter smirked. "…**who dies next?**"

^&^&^&^

It all comes down to this

Since Season 2, Carter Daniels' family has been threatened by the Seven Horns

But after this night, no more

Every sin

Every hurt

Every crime

All will be answered for

The Day of Reckoning Has Come

ELSEWHERE

'Fugitives'

SEASON FINALE

'The Invisible Thread'

April 27th, 2009


	72. An Invisible Thread

"The world is fragile. We like to think that it is strong, that it can handle anything. But if we have learned nothing, it is that one small change will alter that fates of all"

-Mohinder Suresh

^&^&^&^

Joseph grinned, raising the godfire blade. "That was my (censored) toy you just fried…I have been waiting a long time for…"

Carter swung his fist, punching Joseph in the jaw and sending in to the ground.

Marie calmly picked up the godfire katana, swinging a few times. "Stay out of this, Joseph…mommy and daddy are talking."

Carter turned to Madrid. "Give me space."

Marie nodded, turning to her group, the wind catching her long white coat, billowing it behind her. "Leave the balcony…this is between me and the boy."

"Marie…" Lorenzo began.

"Now." She snapped, raising her sword, Carter mimicking her, his own black duster swirling around him. Madrid pausing, helping an already healing Sarah to her feet, putting distance between the two emotion manipulators as the remaining Seven Horns did the same, dragging a moaning Joseph with them. "You had to ruin everything." Marie snapped, circling Carter. "You killed my husband, turned my son from his chosen path, and now bring The Alliance, my Alliance to my doorstep!"

"Your Alliance?" Carter questioned. "Then you truly are confused. The Alliance was always mine, waiting for me to come, that is what was foretold…it was those very prophecies that led your husband to seek his death, by daring to attack my child." He raised his blade, skin glowing brighter till it appeared he was living energy. "**Authority is not given to you to deny me my birthright.**"

"What birthright is that?" Marie roared. "I fought for the Alliance, I rose through the ranks. I have power and I use it as I wish." She smiled as the sounds of battle drifted around them. "But you still function with the mind of a man. Drago taught me long ago…we are not humans but gods and goddesses descended. You, Carter Daniels, are destined to stand with me, not at my throat."

"**You know nothing of me."** Carter stated, raising his blade.

"Then you will die." Marie said, raising her own.

The two collided with a flash of steel.

^&^&^&^

Valencia shook her head, trying to remove the cobwebs from her brain. She was glad that her father's powers were useless on her…all her life, Valencia had been the strong one, and with age she had been able to rapidly succeed her father. She now knew that in a fair fight…her father just might win.

Gabriel groaned. "What hit me?"

"Marie." Derek whispered, staring at the stronghold. "Sarah went up there…" he shook with rage. "I think she's hurt."

Gabriel grit his teeth. "Valencia…its up to you."

Valencia frowned. "Still can't rip the powers away…too many of our own men." She held out her hand, Gabriel understanding what she wanted. His purple flames danced around her fingers before they transformed into a massive claymore. She gripped the handle, glaring at the men before her.

"You have a choice." Gabriel said, his own armor forming around him once more. "Surrender."

The agents chuckled.

Valencia lowered herself, while Derek's hands glowed and Gabriel called upon two arm blades. "Then you choose death."

The three rocketed into the army, a swatch of death left in each one's wake. There was no mercy, no kindness. The three Hunters ripped through their opponents, seeking only to kill as many as they could on their way to get to Sarah.

^&^&^&^

"You ok?" Madrid asked as she struggled to get through the chaos that was the stronghold. Many of Marie's agents were abandoning their posts as the building shook, it clear that the Alliance had managed to break through.

Sarah nodded, rubbing her leg. "Don't heal as fast as the rest of you…growing girl and all the shit."

"Langauge." Madrid scolded.

"Yes grandma." Sarah muttered sullenly.

"See, now that is just sad."

SNAP

Madrid and Sarah slammed against a wall, glancing up as a pissed off Joseph marched towards them.

"So young and already a grandma." Joseph muttered. Sarah raised her hands, igniting them in flames. "Oooo…scared of me?"

Sarah grit her teeth. "No…anger seems to make me burn just as nicely." The small fireball flew at Joseph, the older man simply sidestepping it.

"Not quite enough…"

Madrid held out her hand, duplicating a gun into it. "I'd back away."

Joseph wagged his finger. "No no…won't be doing that."

Madrid fired several shots, Joseph quickly snapping his fingers and knocking the bullets away with ease. He rushed forward, Madrid just having time to leap over him and begin superspeeding out of the stronghold, Joseph snapping his fingers and breaking his way through.

^&^&^&^

"Run stupid!" Kelly shouted, turning tail. She just avoided the Spike-man's fist slamming into her spine as she darted away from him.

Hank grit his teeth. "No way." He pulled out his gun and went invisible. "You be bait."

"Why am I the bait?!" Kelly screeched, rolling away as the man rushed her. "Hank?" She called out, getting no answer. "HANK!"

The Spike-man laughed, the metal blades extending even further as he lashed out at her, trying to turn Kelly into a pincushion. The young woman was scurrying like a bunny, doing all she could to keep out of harms way.

"Hank…any time now…" She hissed, finding herself in a corner, the agent slowly advancing on her.

BANG

Steel-man howled as the bullet tore into his back. He snapped his arm around, blindly trying to find Hank.

"Over here, big man!" Hank called out, firing again. The man grunted, falling to one knee as Hank rushed to Kelly's side. "Where's Carter?"

BOOM

Joseph slammed the wall, sending the agent crumpling under the weight of rock and stone. Hank grabbed Kelly, making them invisible just as Joseph turned their way. Huffing, he marched back towards the gate.

"Around" Kelly muttered. The building shook. "And I think we are better off changing plans."

"To wait?" Hank asked, going invisible.

"As I said before…RUN STUPID!"

^&^&^&^

The sounds of their battle rang through the stronghold, the two of them locked in a dance of sweat and steel. One would push the advantage, the other would reclaim it shortly. Neither gained a true edge, neither gave the other a inch.

Carter and Marie had long since left the balcony, their duel taking them deep into the stronghold. Sparks flew from their swords as the two lashed out at each other, their skill and speed matched. Even with Carter enhanced strength and speed he was finding that Marie's years with a blade gave her the edge to meet him full on.

"Drago taught us much." She stated, swinging for his head. Carter ducked and jabbed forward, just missing her stomach.

"**And then you killed him. How nice**." He brought his blade up, catching hers and twisting it to the side. He pressed forward, forcing Marie up a winding staircase, their shadows flickering among the light of fires that had popped up all along the stronghold.

Reaching the top, Marie used her height advantage to kick at Carter, nearly sending him toppling back down. He caught himself and leapt above her, the older woman just managing to avoid his blow.

A door was smashed open as Marie tackled him, sending both sprawling on the roof. Shaken for only a moment, the two went back to their contest, blades twirling faster and faster until they struck, locking together. Carter and Marie both shot out a hand, sending their mind warping powers at the other. Both screamed as the energy built up in their skulls, till they were thrown back.

Both paused, holding up their hands and tinkering with themselves, fixing the damage before leaping into battle once more.

^&^&^&^

"Hey!" Vally called out from where she lay upon Malcolm's shoulder, watching as the stronghold grew smaller and smaller as they made their escape. Malcolm had circled around the battle, only having to fire at a few agents that got to close for comfort. "Hey!"

"Quiet Navi." Malcolm muttered, ducking behind a rock outcropping.

"No." Vally said stubbornly. "Help daddy."

"Aren't you suppose to be back home?" Malcolm questioned.

Vally grew sullen.

Malcolm glanced up, waiting for the grouping of agents that had gotten too close to them to move. "Besides…" He pointed to the stronghold, Vally able to see much better than him Carter and Marie dueling one another upon the roof. "I think your da has it handled."

Vally crossed her arms, little feet kicking Malcolm in the back. "Want to help…"

Vally froze when she felt Malcolm stiffen, his powers activating.

[Adriana glared at Ellie, pulling out her gun. "Out of my way." She snapped. "This wasn't my war, and I want out!"

She fired, and Ellie fell to the ground, blood trickling down her forehead.]

"NOOOOO!" Malcolm roared, eyes fully white. Before Vally could get her bearings, Malcolm had leapt into battle, rushing past men and women, shooting at several as he dashed towards his wife.

The chaos lines were in full control, Malcolm's body twitching as if he were a puppet. He leapt onto the shoulders of one agent, taking a moment to fire and electro-bullet into the man's skull before he reached up and snagged a flying agent's belt. He swung him and Vally up, placing his gun under the man's chin.

"Fly." He said, stilited. The agent nodded, zooming forward.

^&^&^&^

"Slow down grandma!" Sarah pleaded as they burst from the stronghold's main gate.

BOOM

While Madrid had taken the twists and turns, Joseph had gone for the direct approach, blasting his way out.

"Uh…I don't think so." Madrid muttered. She did, however, find herself skidding to a stop when she saw Valencia, Derek and Gabriel ripping through Marie's agents. The ground was covered in blow, the screams of the dying choking out any other sound.

"Mommy is very angry." Sarah whispered, watching as Valencia leapt into the air, letting out a primal scream as she fired her whammy flames and ripped the powers of agents right and left, leaving them ready for Gabriel to slice down.

"Lets give her something to get mad about, then." Joseph said calmly from behind them, kicking Madrid down and aiming at Valencia. "Would prefer to break the little one…but her future self will do quite nicely…"

SNAP

Valencia cried out as she was struck, Gabriel rushing to catch her as she fell.

"NO!" Madrid screamed rushing Joseph. She wrapped her arms around the old man and leapt high into the air, her strength and rage sending high into the clouds.

"Sarah!" Derek called out, rushing to his daughter and giving her a hug. "You ok?"

"Yeah." Sarah said, watching the clouds.

"…where did your grandmother take Joseph?"

"I'll tell you where he's not." Sarah stated. "Safe."

^&^&^&^

Lorenzo hurrying along the outskirts of the battle, doing his best to avoid the conflict. He had tried to warn Marie, tell her that this was a bad idea, that there were more sly ways to take out Carter and his band…instead, the Seven Horns were nearly wiped out, with only him and Marie left.

And he did not doubt Marie would soon fall.

No, Lorenzo knew his best bet was to get back to Washington, back to the President, and see what he could do to turn this situation to his favor. ANd to do that, he would need to get out…

"Hi."

Lorenzo slowly turned.

Lee glared at him.

"This is for Galatea."

"WAIT!" Lorenzo cried out.

BANG

Lee slowly walked up to the body, placing his gun under Lorenzo's chin. He fired several more shots, reducing the man's head to mush.

"Happy?" Ashleigh asked.

Lee shook his head. "No." And with that, he made his way back to the battle.

^&^&^&^

"Son of a bitch!" Madrid roared, slamming her fists into Joseph's face. The two of them tumbled through the air, at each other's throats, trying to take out the other. Joseph kept trying to sonic blast Madrid, who merely regenerated and would return to punching him with everything that she had.

"Langauge, bitch." Joseph snapped, kicking out of her grip. He held his hand towards the ground, not caring about those below him.

SNAP

Joseph hurtled back up into the sky, waving at Madrid as she fell.

"Enjoy the climb back up, bitch!"

Madrid held out her hand, duplicating another arm from her palm. Again and again this happened, a chain of arms shooting at Joseph and capturing his ankle. Madrid tugged, flinging herself back into him.

"I did." Madrid said, headbutting Joseph. He reeled, Madrid lifting him up over her head. "Now its your turn!"

She roared, hurling Joseph back down at the stronghold.

^&^&^&^

Tina fired her acid at an agent that got to close. "Linda!"

Linda held up her hands, a geyser of water striking a group of agents to her left. "Busy here!"

Ellie fired one of the guns Malcolm had left her, taking out another agent. "If you don't get bloody un-busy soon, Carter is gonna burn."

Linda looked to the stronghold, flames leaping out the windows. In the sky above, Madrid and Joseph battled.

"Got ya." She held up her hand, a pillar of water catching hold of a sheet of metal from the stronghold and bringing it too her. "Be right back!"

Ellie turned to Tina. "Do you think we are going to be ok with out her?"

"I don't see…"

BOOM

Tina and Ellie were thrown back, groaning as they tried to shake the echoes of the explosion from their eardrums. Lifting their heads, they saw Adriana storming towards them, a grenade launcher perched on her shoulder.

"I hate being wrong all the time." Tina muttered, throwing up her hand and firing off a blast of acid. It connected with the launcher, melting the nose of it and forcing Adriana to abandon it in favor of a large uzi.

"This is going bloody well!" Ellie shouted, going for her gun. She cried out when the gun was shot out of her hand, like out of a western.

"Ruined everything…" Adriana muttered, punching Tina when the young woman tried to attack her. She grabbed Ellie by the hair and lifted her up, putting her gun under the british woman's chin. "Ruined everything…someone needs to pay…"

Ellie closed her eyes as she felt the barrel press against her throat.

BANG

Ellie's eyes ripped open just in time to see Malcolm leap from the sky, Vally slung over his shoulder, one of the flying agents falling to the ground, an electro-bullet in the back of his head. Malcolm landed before them, punched Adriana once, then tossed Vally over to Tina, the toddler squealing in surprise.

"That…" PUNCH "Is…" PUNCH "MY…" PUNCH "WIFE!" Malcolm's fist flew as he attacked Adriana, eyes still milky white as he was lost in the commands of the chaos lines. Adriana swung at him, Malcolm crumpling before the hit connected. His hand snaked out, snatching one of the used electro bullets from an agent's corpse.

He twisted to the side, sweeping her leg and sending the inventor down. Adriana cried out, hopping back up, only for Malcolm to strike.

"Dear God." Tina whispered, covering Vally's eyes as Malcolm drove the electro-bullet's needle into the side of Adriana's left breast. He twisted it up and down, sneering, before ripping out of the front, a hot splash of blood soaking his shirt.

"Malcolm…Malcolm, stop!"

Malcolm was lost to them, the vision of this woman killing his Ellie driving him to the breaking point. He shoved Adriana onto her stomach, visiously slamming her face into the ground over and over again, grinding her head into the soil and rock.

"MALCOLM!" Ellie shouted, yanking him away. Her husband stared at her, confused, before his eyes returned to normal. "She's dead, Malcolm…she's already dead…let it go."

Malcolm turned away from her, taking a deep breath. "Yeah…ok."

Ushering the women away from the brutal scene, none of them saw Adriana's eye open, her hand flexing slightly.

^&^&^&^

Carter and Marie froze as Joseph slammed through the roof, the sonic blast he had shot out cushioning his fall but leaving the stonework in ruins. Cracks quickly formed, and the two of them found themselves racing for the doorway, the roof crumbling under their feet.

Nearing it, Marie let out a curse as the doorway fell down as well, leaving her and Carter standing on rapidly weakening ground. Turning her head, she raced forward, Carter on her heals as she dove from the roof, tucking her body and landing once more on the balcony.

Pausing for breath, Carter and Marie glared at each other before resuming their battle, katanas swinging as they focused on finish the other, even as the stronghold collapsed all around them.

"Carter!" Linda shouted, the professor riding a hunk of metal lifted by geyser of water towards the balcony. "Hop on!"

Giving Marie a smirk, the Metatron leapt on, giving her a mocking salute as Linda pulled them Marie. Snarling Marie raced forward, leaping forward and landing on the metal as well, swinging at Linda, only for Carter to catch her blade. Linda let out a gasp, concentration broken and the water crashing to the battlefield below.

Carter and Madrid landed, not pausing to see if anyone was hurt, focused only on striking their opponent down.

"You can't win, Daniels…I will not allow you." She chuckled. "And when you are dead…I'll go after your bitch and kill her infront of your daughter."

If that was suppose to throw Carter off…it failed horribly.

Carter grit his teeth, letting out a savage roar. He tripled his efforts, slamming his blade against Marie's over and over, sending her to her knees. He continued, over and over, until without warning the godfire blade snapped in two, sending Marie into the dirt. Carter held his blade at her throat glaring down at her.

"Do it." She whispered.

Trembling with rage…Carter pulled his blade back.

"Get one of Adriana's power blocking collars." Carter narrowed her eyes. "It will do until Vally can rip her powers away."

One of the Alliance members did as told, snapping the collar around Marie's neck. Only then, when he knew her powers were locked away, did he dare turn his back to her.

It would be his worst mistake.

Marie reached down, grabbing the shards of the godfire and rushed, raising the blade to strike Carter in the skull.

"NO!"

Carter turned to see Derek fall, staring at the steel that now lay in his heart. He fell to his knees, hands flashing as blood poured from his wound.

BANG

Marie fell to her knees, her own hand touching where the bullet had ripped into her lung. She looked up at Biddy, who lowered her weapon.

"Get the hell away from my son." She hissed, watching Derek has he continued to stare at his hands.

"Son?" Hank questioned.

"Dad?" Sarah whispered, her father trembling as he stood up.

"Run." He whispered, his flesh flashing a dark purplish black. "RUN!"

The explosion took them all by surprise, shoving them too the ground. Dust swirling about them, the air crackled as thunder echoed overhead. Where once had stood Derek there was now a raging, ragged hole in the fabric of space and time, tendrils of energy and black lightning coming from it. The sun was bloated out by its power, the earth cracked and broken by the lashing out of the destructive force.

Marie let out a weak scream as she was sucked into the vortex.

"Carter!" Madrid shouted, finally spotting her husband. Carter hung in the air, tossed about like a fish on a hook, his leg snared by one of the energy tendrils. He was trying to pull himself free, failing miserably.

"Daddy!" Vally wailed from where Madrid held her, watching as Carter was slowly reeled towards the vortex.

Madrid's hand snapped forward, another arm growing out of her palm, then another, then another, until a lifeline of arms caught Carter's wrist.

Carter grimaced, feeling the tendrils of energy wrap around his leg. "Madrid…you can't hold on forever."

Madrid clutched his hand tight, one of her extra arms wrapped around Vally. The toddler stared at him in terror, pleading for him to not let go. "Carter…Carter we can do this!"

Carter smiled weakly. "No…we can't." He felt her grip loosen. "It gots me good, and it doesn't want to let go." He felt himself almost ripped from her, Madrid just managing to hold her grip. "Madrid…I'll find my way back to you…I promise."

"Carter…" Madrid pleaded, eyes filled with tears. "You don't even know where you're going! You don't know if you'll even survive!"

He closed his eyes. "But that won't stop it from taking me." He locked eyes with her. "Say goodnight, Babs." His grip loosened.

And then he was falling, hurtling into the dark vortex, being sucked through the air into the great unknown.

And still he held Madrid's hand.

"I don't know where you're going!" Madrid shouted, pulling herself to him, Vally settled between them. She wrapped her arms around her husband tightly, resting her forehead on his as they entered the vortex. "But your family is coming with you!" And with that she kissed him, Carter embracing the two as the vortex devoured them whole.

"NO!" Hank screamed, trying to break free of Biddy's grasp. "Carter!"

"I…I don't believe it…" Malcolm whispered.

[Malcolm Grant]

The Englishman's eyes went cloudy, shock written over his features as, for the first time…the chaos line TALKED to him.

[You must go]

"What?" he whispered.

[Before its too late…they will need you]

"Need me…need me where?"

Ellie grasped Malcolm's hand. "Malcolm…what's wrong? Who are you…"

[On the other side]

"But…" Malcolm went ramrod still as he felt himself instinctively giving into the commands of the chaos lines.

Malcolm pitched forward, Ellie screaming as the rough earth they were standing on broke free, soaring through the sky and sending them into the vortex.

"MALCOLM!" Linda cried out from where she hid.

The vortex seemed to pause, before it began to pulse hard.

"Something's wrong…" Lee began.

^&^&^&^

"The world is fragile. All it takes is one misstep…and every we know…could end."

-Mohinder Suresh

^&^&^&^

The vortex exploded.

^&^&^&^

At the bonfire, as they all began to move away, Peter and Nathan looked up at the sky, startled as it flashed purple, a wave of energy blasting through them.

^&^&^&^

Reality blinked.

^&^&^&^

End of Volume 4

^&^&^&^

Volume 5

Redemption

^&^&^&^

Carter blinked, staring up at the white ceiling.

The last thing he remembered was the vortex…then…poof.

He made quick observations of his location.

He was in a bright, white bedroom, it obviously being morning.

He was laying in bed, naked, a thin sheet covering him.

Madrid, equally naked, was curled up beside him.

"Mmmm…" He said, deciding that he might not want to know what was going on, and just take advantage.

"Morning lover."

He froze when he heard that statement made from the opposite side of the bed…the side Madrid wasn't on.

Carter turned just in time to find himself suddenly pinned by Tina Linderman, she herself nude and not hiding a thing. He could feel her warm flesh pressing against his, her breath tickling his skin as she sensually rubbed herself against him.

"Up for some morning delight?" She whispered, licking his ear.

"WHOA!" Carter screamed, throwing her off and tumbling out of bed. Tina landed on Madrid with an 'omf!', awaking the Spanish beauty.

"What the?" Madrid asked, confused to find Tina and herself in a very awkward position.

Carter snatched a pair of boxers from the floor, backing out of the room. "Sorry Tina! So sorry!"

Tina frowned. "Hey! Where do you think you're going!?! I thought we were going to…"

Carter slammed the door before she could finish that thought.

"Hey!" Carter turned, startled to find Claire Bennet standing in the hallway, wearing a wifebeater and baggy pants, her hair cut incredibly short and dyed orange. "The last thing I need to see in the morning is your bare behind post-boinking."

Cater gaped like a fish, struggling to put his boxers on. "Claire…what…what are you…doing here?"

Claire raised an eyebrow. "Duh…I live here. Geez, you really hit your head hard last night."

"Last night?"

"Daddy!" Vally squealed, running around a corner and leaping into her father's arms.

Carter hugged her close. "Vally." He whispered, hugging her tight. "Are you ok?"

Vally shook her head. "Something's wrong."

"Damn right it is!" Madrid snapped, shutting the bedroom door, sheet wrapped around her. "Why did I wake up to Tina trying to dry hump me? And why is your sister here? What the hell is this place? And why did Tina just try and have sex with us?!?!"

"Whoa! Watch the language in front of little ears."

Carter and Madrid slowly turned, tensing as they gazed at the newcomer, Vally hiding her face in her father's shoulder.

"Sylar." Carter whispered, moving to pull Madrid behind him.

Sylar was dressed in a pair of Scooby Doo pajamas, a woman 10 years or so older than Carter at his side in matching pjs. The two of them walked up, arms wrapped around each other, giving Carter and Madrid teasing grins.

"I see you got back." Sylar said pleasantly. "Good to see ya, after all these months." Carter could only tense as Sylar walked up…and HUGGED him. When Carter did nothing, Sylar pulled back, a goofy smile on his face. "What? Too old to hug your dad?"

^&^&^&^

To Be Continued…

^&^&^&^

REALITY HAS CHANGED

HISTORY HAS BEEN REWRITTEN

AND ONLY 5 PEOPLE KNOW THE TRUTH

CARTER

VALLY

MADRID

MALCOLM

ELLIE

ELSEWHERE CROSSES OVER WITH "THE PATH LESS TRAVELED"

THIS FALL

DISCOVER A WORLD FAMILIAR…YET NOT OUR OWN

**ELSEWHERE**

**VOLUME 5**

**REDEMPTION**

BUT BEFORE THAT…

In Volume One

(We see Noah Bennet riding in a taxi)

You met them all

(We see Helena Daniels walking through an airport terminal)

You learned of their powers

(Noah gets out of the cab and walks towards a house)

And of their destinies

(We see Helena opening the door to her house)

They this was the beginning

(Noah opens a bedroom door, while Helena walks into her living room)

They were wrong

(Noah smiles as a five year old girl runs up to him, dressed in pink, a teddy bear in her hand)

Little Girl: Hi daddy!

Noah: Hi Claire.

(In Helena's living room, a nine year old Carter burrows his face in her shoulder, wrapping his little arms around her as tight as he can)

Carter: M-m-m-m-missed you mama

Helena: Missed you too, sweetheart.

(We see flashes of Drago, Joseph, a man in a hooded sweatshirt, a young Kelly Raegan, a young Elle Bishop, and finally Claude Raines, Noah Bennet, Helena Daniels and a man we've never met before standing together, looking at a crime scene, very similar to the first Sylar killing)

Every story has a beginning

**HEROES: VOLUME 0-Prologue**

Coming this May


	73. Orientation

Volume 5

Redemption

^&^&^&^

Carter blinked, staring up at the white ceiling.

The last thing he remembered was the vortex…then…poof.

He made quick observations of his location.

He was in a bright, white bedroom, it obviously being morning.

He was laying in bed, naked, a thin sheet covering him.

Madrid, equally naked, was curled up beside him.

"Mmmm…" He said, deciding that he might not want to know what was going on, and just take advantage.

"Morning lover."

He froze when he heard that statement made from the opposite side of the bed…the side Madrid wasn't on.

Carter turned just in time to find himself suddenly pinned by Tina Linderman, she herself naked and not hiding a thing. He could feel her warm flesh pressing against his, her breath tickling his skin as she sensually rubbed herself against him.

"Up for some morning delight?" She whispered, licking his ear.

"WHOA!" Carter screamed, throwing her off and tumbling out of bed. Tina landed on Madrid with an 'omf!', awaking the Spanish beauty.

"What the?" Madrid asked, confused to find Tina and herself in a very awkward position.

Carter snatched a pair of boxers from the floor, backing out of the room. "Sorry Tina! So sorry!"

Tina frowned. "Hey! Where do you think you're going!?! I thought we were going to…"

Carter slammed the door before she could finish that thought.

"Hey!" Carter turned, startled to find Claire Bennet standing in the hallway, wearing a wifebeater and baggy pants, her hair cut incredibly short and dyed orange. "The last thing I need to see in the morning is your bare behind post-boinking."

Cater gapped like a fish, struggling to put his boxers on. "Claire…what…what are you…doing here?"

Claire raised an eyebrow. "Duh…I live here. Geez, you really hit your head hard last night."

"Last night?"

"Daddy!" Vally squealed, running around a corner and leaping into her father's arms.

Carter hugged her close. "Vally." He whispered, hugging her tight. "Are you ok?"

Vally shook her head. "Something's wrong."

"Damn right it is!" Madrid snapped, shutting the bedroom door. "Why did I wake up to Tina trying to dry hump me? And why is your sister here? What the hell is this place? And why did Tina just try and have sex with us?!?!"

"Whoa! Watch the language in front of little ears."

Carter and Madrid slowly turned, tensing as they gazed at the newcomer, Vally hiding her face in her father's shoulder.

"Sylar." Carter whispered, moving to pull Madrid behind him.

Sylar was dressed in a pair of Scooby Doo pajamas, a woman 10 years or so older than Carter at his side in matching pjs. The two of them walked up, arms wrapped around each other, giving Carter and Madrid teasing grins.

"I see you got back." Sylar said pleasantly. "Good to see ya, after all these months." Carter could only tense as Sylar walked up…and HUGGED him. When Carter did nothing, Sylar pulled back, a goofy smile on his face. "What? Too old to hug your dad?"

Carter's eyes widened, just before he shoved Sylar away from him. "Madrid, run!"

"Carter?" Claire asked, just as he grabbed her by the shoulders and threw her towards Madrid. He turned, holding out his fists and igniting them.

"Holy!" The woman that had been standing with Sylar managed to get out, moments before Carter rocketed at the dark haired man, punching him in the gut. Sylar slammed into a wall, shaking his head as Carter marched towards him. "Gabriel, something is wrong!" She ran up to Carter, tugging on his arm. "Carter, stop!" She tried to force him to look at him. "Its me…its mom…remember…" Audrey Hanson shook his shoulder, tears in her eyes.

"You are not my mother!" Carter roared, eyes blazing as he pulled away. "And you are not my father!" Sylar held up his hand, flinging Carter back and pinning him on the opposite side of the hall.

"Come on!" Madrid shouted, tugging on Claire's arm.

Claire turned, shaking her head. "What the hell is wrong with the two of you!?" Madrid continued to tug on her, trying to get her to run. "Let go of me, Madrid, before my brother kills our father!" Madrid refused to relinquish her hold. "I said let go!" Claire shouted…

…her body exploding in flames.

Madrid cried out, stumbling back, holding up a burnt hand to shield herself. Claire paused, watching as the burns healed.

"How the hell did you do that?" Both asked at the same time.

Carter grit his teeth, fighting against the telepathic hold Sylar had him in. The dark haired man was sweating, struggling to keep Carter still. Carter slammed against the invisible restraints, breath coming out in ragging blasts as he battled to free himself.

"He's…he's too strong…" Sylar gasped. He stared at Carter. "Carter isn't this strong…who the hell are you?"

"Your worst nightmare." Carter said, eyes glowing before he unleashed a blast of whammy energy from them. Sylar toppled, and Carter fell back to the carpet. "Time to go." Carter stated, superspeeding to Madrid. "Claire…"

"isn't Claire…she's a firestarter." Madrid stated.

Carter nodded. "We need some breathing room…run."

The others could only watch as Carter, Madrid and Vally superspeeded away.

^&^&^&^

"Sir?"

The brown haired man continued to stare at the mirror as he put his costume on. Around him, he could hear techs buzzing about the halls, relaying information to his associates.

"Yes?" he asked, checking his boots.

"We have spotted Azreal and Persephone downtown."

The man lowered his head. "Who did they kill this time?" he asked, bitterly.

"That's the thing sir…they didn't kill anyone…Wireless reports they…robbed a Sears."

The man slowly turned towards the messenger. "They robbed a store?"

"In their underwear." The messenger stated. "Without masks."

The man's eyes widened before he rushed to his clear display case, removing a silver mask. Yanking it on and retying his cape, the superhero known as the Silver Streak turned back to the messenger. "Is Vally with them?"

"…yes." The messenger admitted.

"Something is wrong…very wrong." The Streak muttered, before pressing a button. The ceiling opened up, and the silver hero only took a moment to place a communicator in his ear before rocketing into the sky.

^&^&^&^

(Los Angeles- 2 miles from the nearest Sears)

"We…have sunk to a new low." Madrid muttered, putting off Vally's pajama top and helping her into the pink t-shirt they managed to grab. "We are in an abandoned lot, in our underwear…I am topless, you are in boxers…trying to put on clothing we stole…from Sears. Huh." She tugged Vally's bottoms off and struggled to get the suddenly blashful 4 year old into some overalls, the toddler complaining about having to wear a "stupid teletubby" shirt. "I thought being kidnapped and held prisoner in Alaska was bad. I thought having your best friend's mother kidnap you and torture you was bad. I thought Tina having a viewing party of Army Chicks in the living room was bad…but this takes the cake!"

"Army Chicks was a fine film, you should be proud of it." Carter raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with Sears?"

Madrid looked up to the heavens. "A year ago I use to do fund raisers for people that shopped at Sears…"

Carter pulled a pair of jeans over his boxers. "Yes yes, you were once a B list movie star and now you are a super hero who is married to another super hero who is also one of the wealthiest CEOs in Europe…you truly traded down." He began to pull on a shirt. "This isn't that bad."

"Carter…that's a blouse."

Carter blinked, looking down at the frilly pink number. "Well, I'll be dipped."

Vally looked at her father, then back at her mother before bursting into giggles. "Daddy looks like a girl!" She squeezed the special bear tight as she laughed.

"Yes…yes he does." Madrid stated as she tied Vally's new stolen shoes, before focusing on getting herself dressed. "Seriously Carter…what the hell is going on?"

"I am as confused as you are." Carter said, wondering why he had grabbed all black clothing. Sighing, he threw on the black t-shirt as Madrid took his blouse from him. "Sylar hugged me…I think I need to shower a long time before I get rid of the cooties."

"I'm you sleeping with you until you do." Madrid commented.

"Daddy has cooties, daddy has cooties!" Vally sang.

"Claire wasn't Claire…Tina wanted to sleep with both of us…Syalr HUGGED ME!" Carter did a full body shiver. "Madrid, I am going to say it."

"Please don't."

"Nope, needs to be done." Carter held out his hands. "Can this day get any worse?!"

"Hello Carter." The Silver Streak said, descending.

Carter blinked. "Holy crap…just like on a bad sitcom."

The Streak was dressed in silver spandex with black lightlights on his gloves, boots and mask, as well as an ebony cape. A stick figure against a cloud was plastered on his chest, looking rather nice as the man struck a pose.

"What are you doing?"

Carter scratched his head. "Madrid…there is a man in spandex in front of me."

Madrid continued to get her blouse on. "I can see that."

"Good, just making sure I wasn't insane." He held out a hand to the Streak. "Uh…hi?"

The Streak looked down. "What is your game?"

Carter leaned back. "Game?"

"Out in broad daylight…not in costume…taking Vally with you…robbing a Sears…"

"We would have robbed a Gap, but that was closer." Carter joked. When he got no response, he grimaced. "Tough room. Ok, we've had a really rough day…"

"Save it…I don't know what the game is, but I am going to ask you to stop, Carter. I'm not in the mood."

Carter shook his head. "ok…that's nice…by the way, I have no idea who you are…"

"Or why the spandex." Madrid said, stepping forward, Vally cradled in her arms.

The Streak shook his head. "Going to play it like that, huh?" The Streak reached up and removed his mask. "Wireless is blocking the cameras within a 3 mile radius anyway."

"Nathan?" Carter asked, shocked. "Nathan flippin' Petrelli?" He burst into laughter, clutching his sides. "Oh my God!"

Nathan just watched the three as they giggled at him, growing more and more annoyed. "Ok, enough of this, alright?" he took a step forward. "Listen, I know you hate me…think I abandoned you…think that me not killing the criminals I catch makes me less of a hero than you…"

Carter took a few breaths."not kill….wait a minute, if this is about Merrick…"

"You…you killed Merrick?"

Carter frowned. "Months ago…Marie too."

Nathan shook his head. "Stop! Ok? Just stop! Enough of your mind games!" He took a step forward. "I don't care what you have planned, I really don't! But you need to stop!" He jabbed his finger towards Vally. "You have a daughter now, and while I am the last person to five you parenting advice, I thought when she was born you would see you needed to slow your vendetta down…not drag her into this!"

Madrid glared at Nathan.'We aren't planning anything. We woke up in strange beds, with people acting all psycho mantis on us…we are just trying to figure this all out!" She yawned. "And who the hell is whistling?!"

Vally blinked, laying her head on Madrid's shoulder as Carter panted, Nathan pulling back on his mask. "Mama…I'm sweepy…"

Nathan turned, glaring as two more men entered the lot. The first was dressed in long, loose robes, his face seemingly hidden by rags that were wrapped around all but his lips. The other wore a golden, simmering uniform, only the top of his head visible.

"Snooze…" Nathan said to the rag man, "Knox…what are you…" He took a step forward, but the two continued to approach the Daniels family.

"Sorry Streak…but we aren't turning down a fine opportunity." Knox said, as Snooze conintued to whistle, the sound causing the three in the lot not wearing masks to become more and more drowsy.

"We had an agreement…my son was not to be tagged like this…"

"Son?" Carter asked weakly, on his knees. "Why am I everyone's son, suddenly?"

"Ha." Madrid managed, slumping down. Knox took a step forward, grabbing Vally, Madrid weakly clawing at his ankle.

"Set her down…"

"We allowed this to go on because you said Carter was calming down…that he was slowing down, not killing as many people. But trust me…we've wanted to take down this murderous son of a bitch for a long time…and now that he isn't putting up a fight, we are going to do it right here."

Nathan grit his teeth, unable to argue with the logic. "I'm sorry Carter." He whispered.

"Vally…" Carter mumbled, trying to get to his sleeping daughter. "no…"

"Don't worry Carter…I'll watch her…" Nathan said, reaching to take the 4 year old from Knox.

Vally jerked from his hands, flying in the arm.

The three masked men turned to stare at the new comer, dressed in black and blue spandex, his face covered with a mask so only his eyes, hair and mouth were visible. A large stylized S was on his chest. He held his hand up, drawing Vally to him.

"Don't worry…Grandpa has you."

"Sylar." Madrid whispered.

"NOW!" Sylar bellowed.

From the rooftops, 5 women, clad all in bullet proof tights, sleeveless shirts, and domino masks leapt down, each raising a gun. Each girl sported a different colored outfit, matching their short bob cut.

"Freya, take out Knox!" Sylar commanded, the girl with white/blue hair holding out her hands and firing blasts of ice as the golden man. He punched his way through the ice swarming him, only for another girl to rush him. "Hestia, you get the Streak!"

Nathan took to the sky. "Claire…don't do this…"

"Save it, dad." She snarled, igniting her hands and firing fireballs at him.

Sylar pointed at another girl with red hair. "Atalanta!"

"I got him!" She said, superspeeding at Snooze and knocking him out cold. Carter and Madrid slowly rose to their feet as the man's power faded. "Artemsis!" The speedster shouted.

Tina, her hair dyed dark blue hair, ran up to Madrid. She pulled out a domino mask and pushed it onto the woman's face, making sure it stuck. "Sorry about this…I know you aren't from here…they should have woken me upwhen you guys went nutty…could have explained this…Carter!" She tossed Carter a black executioner's hood. "Get that on now!"

"Carter?" Madrid questioned.

"One enemy saved Vally…the new ones were going to take her…I can't believe I'm saying this…" Carter pulled the mask on. "Let's stick with Sylar."

Sylar ran up to them, throwing a dumpster at Nathan with a flick of hiswrist. "Come on! Amazons, scatter!" The women nodded, holding Nathan and his allies back as Sylar lifted a manhole cover off with his mind and guided Carter and Madrid down. Tina followed, motioning for her fighters to follow, the women diving in after Sylar and the Daniels. Knox raced forward, just missing Freya as she iced the hole shut.

"Damn it!" He roared.

Deep in the sewers, Carter looked at Sylar. "What the hell is going on?"

"We were hoping you could answer that…starting with who you were and what you did with my Carter."

Author's Note: Army Chicks, the movie Carter and Madrid talk about, is a reference to a film Madrid did where she did nude scenes. It is strongly hinted it was a bad film that only made money because Madrid got naked in it. The cast of Elsewhere as made fun of the film in the past.


	74. Jump Push Fall

"…if it weren't for the strangeness I'd already seen…" Gabriel muttered, Carter having just finished telling his tale. "Different…yet similar…" He struggled to comprehend exactly what he had heard. "A different life…a different world. Are you saying that…all of this isn't real? That I'm merely a killer that has forgotten his true self?"

Tina shook her head. "He might be saying that, but it would be wrong." She quickly began drawing a diagram. "I've always wanted to chart the flow of time and space, but never found the time." She paused. "Finding a cure for cancer seemed more important."

Madrid leaned over towards Claire. "Is she serious?"

"Your lover might be a comedian, but she never lies about her smarts." Claire answered.

"Please don't call her my lover." Madrid whimpered.

"What do you mean, wrong?" Carter questioned.

The group found themselves once more back where they had begun the morning: the Gray Mansion. The fact that Carter lived in the Gray Family Mansion was only overshadowed by the fact that, in this world, he was Carter Gray, son of Gabriel.

In the eyes of the law, of course.

Gabriel, Audrey, Claire and Tina had given Carter and Madrid the run down, Vally off exploring the home. In this world, Carter had been adopted by Nathan Petrelli, who had never abandoned Meredith Gordan. Thus, Carter had grown up Carter Petrelli, heir to the Petrelli fortune.

However, much to Carter's surprise, in the world the fact that humans had powers was common knowledge, and superheroes, for this reality, were the norm…or, at least they had been.

"Adam Monroe, The Last Hero, as he liked to be called, hunted down all the superheroes that had arisen during the 60s." Audrey had informed them "He went on a brutal spree, murdering over 20 heroes and their families…including your parents, Madrid." Carter had wrapped his arms around his wife as she sobbed through the rest of the tale, of how Arthur Petrelli, Daniel Linderman and of all people, Merrick Delpine, had united to defeat Adam and finally kill him. After that dark day, all the heroes had retired, and the world had gone without protectors for 20 years. Madrid had been adopted by Daniel and become Tina's sister, the two becoming close and, after a period, lovers.

"We were tired of watching the world and not taking a part in it." Tina had explained. "So we decided to get off the bench."

The Amazons had been born. A group of young women, all with powers, joined in their mission to use their abilities to protect their city, Los Angles. They had been active for months…then Azreal had shown up.

"The night of that fire, you said you died, Carter. Born from the ashes was Azreal, the Angel of Death." Carter had listened on in growing horror at the tale; how as a young man he had been caught in a house fire and nearly burned to death, his own adopted father refusing to fly in and save him. Gabriel had found him, and taken him to Linderman, who had healed Carter of his wounds. But the scars on his soul had never gone away. Carter had sworn to murder those that failed to use their powers to save others, and Azreal had been born. Gabriel, seeing the wisdom in Carter's idea of a new type of hero, had joined with him, and eventually adopted the young man as his own son.

Others, like Nathan himself, seeking to redeem himself for the 'death' of his son, would become heroes to both protect the world and stop men like Carter, who they felt went over the line.

And thus the new age of superheroes had begun.

"Still doesn't explain how Tina ended up naked in our bed." Madrid finally stated, the others watching as Tin worked on her chart. "Or why Claire is here, or Vally being around…or how any of this came about…"

Carter held up a hand. "Time for that later…Tina, what did you mean before, about this reality?"

"This isn't an altered timeline." She stated, holding up her graph. "Anyone hear of the Mulitverse Theory?" At the blank looks, she sighed. "Ok, it goes like this…Chaos theory states that small changes can cause major changes…you go through one door and you life, the other you die. Well, everything we do causes a choice like that…and every time we make any decision, we cause 2 alternate paths. Multiverse Theory states that this causes dimensions to split in two. We our still ourselves…it is you, Carter, that is different."

Madrid frowned. "What exactly happened that cause this alternate universe to be created?'

Audrey grinned. "I think I just figured it out." She pushed a book over to them. "The world is similar…the United States, Civil War….so I figured we needed to look at the key difference: Powers." She pointed to a picture. The image showed The World's Fair in New York, at the dawn of the 20th century. Featured, front and center, were two figures engaged in battle, both wounded. "This is the moment when the world learned of you all."

"Derek." Carter whispered, staring at the man.

"Marie." Madrid echoed. "When Derek blew…he sent the two of them back in time."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Carter and Madrid shared a look. "Vally."

^&^&^&^

"…no wonder she screamed." Madrid muttered.

Carter nodded. "Must have given her a heart attack."

Gabriel frowned. "Am I missing something?"

The room before them was Vally's…or the Vally of this new dimension.

A room filled with Dora the Explorer items.

Bedsheets, posters, dolls, rugs, tvs…everywhere was Dora, Dora, Dora.

Claire raised an eyebrow. "What the big deal…the room's filled with Vally's favorite stuff."

Carter and Madrid shared a look, rolling their eyes.

"Where is Vally?" Tina questioned.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Vally screamed, her pink Metatron form bursting from around the corner of the hall, a baseball bat in her hands. She dove at the room swinging…

…only for Carter to snatch the bat from her hands.

"Daddy!" Vally screamed in protest.

Carter shook his head. "Vally, no."

"Yes, daddy! Bad room!"

"No." Carter said sternly.

Vally couldn't believe it. Her daddy was the pushover, not the one that told her no! "Yes! Dora must die!"

"I said no!" Carter snapped, his own flames bursting out, causing Gabriel, Audrey and Claire to jump back. Madrid placed a hand on his shoulder, feeling the rage in his whammy flames. He took a breath, calming all those around him.

Vally stood tall…for about 5 seconds. Her flames flickered down as she crumpled to the floor, holding her head up and letting out a wail, fat tears rolling down her cheeks. Madrid gathered the toddler in her arms, rocking her back and forth as Vally sobbed.

"Wanna go home, mama!" Vally cried. "Wanna go home! There's Dora…and Sylar…" She hiccupped, "And daddy's mean! Wanna go home mama…" She nuzzled her face into Madrid's shoulder. "Please…go home…"

Madrid cooed softly, rubbing the girl's back. She turned, locking eyes with Carter, her message clear.

Carter turned to Gabriel. "I could care less how I ended up here…I need to figure out how to get us back." His eyes narrowed as he spun towards Tina. "Got any thoughts?"

Tina shook her head. "I'm super smart, but no one is writing about this sort of stuff, meaning I have nothing to learn. We need an expert…a time travel master."

Carter nodded. "Hiro." He turned to Gabriel and Audrey. "Where is Hiro Nakamura?"

Claire glowered. "Why would you ever want to talk to that asshole?"

"Claire…" Gabriel warned, "Carter, the Hiro you know and the Hiro here…the thing is…"

Carter grit his teeth. "I could care less if he is Hitler in this dimension. I need to get my family home. I need to lay my daughter down in her room, surrounded by the pictures and decoration her mother and father chose to guard her as she sleeps. I need to return her to a home that she knows, to the friends and family who know her…love her. " He leaned in close. "And more than that…I need to get your son and his family back, wherever they have gone. It isn't right for you to stare into the eyes of a man who wear's your son's face. Please…Gabriel…help me."

Gabriel looked at him, sorrow filling his dark eyes. "You aren't going to like what you see."

"I have made a life of facing horrors no one should witness…what's one more upon the tally?"

^&^&^&^

(London)

Claude Raines rushed through the hall, just managing to avoid a maid, pivoting on his heel and doing a little spin before he finally got back on course. In the room to his right he could hear the lady of the house singing as she took her evening shower, her assistant Caitlin's Irish vocals complimenting her perfectly.

However, Claude had business with the master of the house.

Entering the bedroom, he found his boss taking off his suit, his assistant Ricky going through the itinerary for the next day.

"And at 10 am you have tea with Queen Diana." Ricky stated, before noticing Claude standing there.

"I am sorry Ricky, but I need to speak with…"

"Of course." Ricky stated. "I'll just see if my sis is done singing to the angels." He took his leave, Claude finding himself alone with the master of the house.

"Sir…you know that matter you asked me to look into?" The man said nothing. "It happened…just a few hours ago. Mr. Prime Minister…Carter Daniels just appeared on our radar."

^&^&^&^

(Carter and Gabriel- Nevada State Prison)

Carter looked around the prison, not believing the situation he found himself in. Here he was, walking with Gabriel Gray, dressed all in black (which wasn't too different from normal, expect for the Azreal-superhero-or-villian costume Gabriel and Tina had forced him to wear under his clothing before leaving), walking through a supervillain prison that was filled with evil men and women…several of them he knew all to well…

"Come to observe the freaks, Detective?" The warden said with a smirk.

Gabriel grinned, flashing his badge, causing Carter to shake his head. "In this world, the serial killer is a detective…" he glanced at the warden, "and my Communications teacher is head of supervillain Sing Sing."

Warden Linda Fray shot Gabriel a look. "What's up with your son and his mumbling?"

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Hit his head…acting stupid…very stupid." He smacked Carter on the back of the head, giving him a warning glance. "And yes, I need to talk to one of the freaks…your model prisoner."

Linda nodded. "Oh goodie…the chatter box." She led them down the hall, Carter watching as people he knew from his files on the Company glaring at him from their glass cells. In one, the Haitian licked his lips, running a finger along his throat. In another…

"That's Peter Petrelli!" Carter hissed, pointing to the man in a complex and almost futuristic looking straight jacket.

Gabriel nodded. "The Great White Hope?" He chuckled. "Yeah…he's an evil bastard. Killed 50 people to try and find a way to get a power…enraged that he was the only one in the family that didn't get one." Gabriel nudged Carter to keep him moving. "And before you begin feeling sorry for him…as I can only assume in your world he was a good guy…he's the one that set your house on fire those years back…he's the one that nearly killed you, then tried to rape Claire and Madrid before they fought back…and then tried to go after Vally."

Carter's eyes began to glow.

"That's my boy…but now is not the time." Gabriel whispered. Linda turned a corner, Peter no longer in their sights. "That's how Linda got this job, by the way…she was Peter's boss at the hospital, and helped us figure out it was him that was killing people using your method. We…and by we I mean you, me, Tina's father and a few others in our circle, got with Nathan's group and decided she would be the best to help us."

"How fun." Carter muttered as they stopped before a cell. "This is?"

Gabriel nodded. "Yup." He turned to Linda. "You mind if the kid…"

"Who am I to argue with the great Sylar and Azreal?" She asked, taking her leave.

"Is there anyone who doesn't know I'm a murdering superhero?" Carter muttered.

Gabriel ignored him, keying in the access code and leading Carter inside. Within the cell sat a Japanese man, dressed in a white shirt and cotton pants, his feet bare. He looked up and gave them a grin.

^&^&^&^

Outside the prison, several vans pulled up, men in SWAT gear piling out. The head of the group pulled out a walkie talkie and turned it to the right frequency.

"Dr. Suresh…we're here."

^&^&^&^

"Hello Detective." He stated.

Carter frowned. "This isn't Hiro Nakamura."

Gabriel shook his head. "No it is not."

The man held out a hand. "Ando, pleased to finally meet the great detective's son."

Carter ignored the hand. "Who the hell is Ando?"

Gabriel shrugged. "The man that killed Hiro."

^&^&^&^

To Be Continued…

^&^&^&^

And now, scenes from the upcoming season of Elsewhere

(We see Carter standing on top of a building)

Carter: And within that mirror I saw another world

(We see a grinning Carter wrap his arms around Tina and Madrid)

Carter: And the faces were those I knew but did not

(We see Carter throwing on the Azreal hood as Dr. Suresh's men storm the prison.)

Carter: And the places were those I knew but did not

(We see Nathan flying in the sky, right towards Madrid who is dressed in her dark superhero costume)

Carter: And the artifacts were those I knew but did not

(We see Hiro Nakamura's grave)

Carter: And as I saw these images, I questioned…

(We zoom down the building towards a puddle of water)

Carter: Who is the real one…

(We enter the puddle and pull back up to reveal Azreal looking down at his image, which has taken the shape of Carter)

Carter: and who is the reflection?

Elsewhere

Volume 5

Redemption

^&^&^&^

Mr. Chaos is now on Facebook! Simply look for Kevin Allen (I'm the blonde one from Michigan).


	75. Acceptance

(Nevada)

Carter glared at Gabriel, eyes flashing silver. "I hate you."

"You don't mean that." Gabriel stated.

Carter nodded. "Ok, I loathe you, very much." He waved his hand at Ando, who was watching the argument with mild interest. "You couldn't have told me Hiro was dead? You had to pull some bullshit like this?"

Gabriel considered Carter's point, before smiling. "I like dramatics."

"Ok, I reverse my position…I HATE YOU!"

"Can I say something?" Ando asked.

"NO!" Gabriel and Carter shouted.

Ando shrugged. "I just happen to know a lot about relationships."

Carter slowly turned his head. "You killed your best friend."

"Boss…never friend. An ass hole and a jackass. A strange…almost mythical creature. A jackhole? Isn't that what you Americans call it?"

"Jackalope." Carter muttered. At Gabriel's look, Carter shrugged. "I'm from Texas."

"Could have fooled me, with the lack of southern twang." Gabriel stated, giving Ando a wave. "That's all we needed, thanks Ando."

"Any time, Detective. If you ever want to hear Hiro's brains blew out of his eyes when I pressed the gun to his skull, just ask!"

Carter glanced over at Gabriel as he swiped his keycard, opening the cell door and letting the two of them back into the hall. "Orphanage, all the nuns were from Indiana…don't ask, I try not to think about any of that. Second, was there some grand plan behind this, other than annoying me?"

"Surprisingly, yes." Gabriel stated as they walked past the cells, the inmates shouting at them and jeering. "You needed to see that your world and my world…they are different. In your world, I'm a killer, but here, I'm not. I'm your father. But you can't get the image of me cutting heads off out of your brain." He held up his hand. "I've seen how you keep yourself between me and Vally…but Carter, even ifshe doesn't remember…she's my granddaughter. I was there the day she was born…I helped you build her crib and videotaped her first steps." He shook his head. "If we are going to make things right…to split your universes…you need to trust me."

Carter rubbed his forehead. "And you couldn't think of a better way to teach trust?"

BOOM

Carter and Gabriel flew back, sliding across the tile floor as the doors leading out of the main cellblock burst open, thrown aside by a rogue missile. The two looked up, coughing, only to see 40 men with high powered rifles storming the building.

"…apparently the God in this universe likes tormenting me as much as the one in my universe."

^&^&^&^

(The Gray Home)

"Where's Vally?" Audrey asked, sitting down next to Madrid.

"Napping in…I guess my room?"

"Yeah." Audrey stated.

"You know…Carter handles this insanity much better then me. I mean…yeah, I was a movie actress, my parents died in a bus crash and my baby sister turned out to be my daughter…but Carter…he's gone through worse and came out much more sane."

The two of them were seated in the living room, Madrid staring at the blank television. Around her were images of a life she had never lived: Tina and her in Vegas during her 21st birthday, Carter and her on their wedding day in Hawaii.

"What do you mean, baby sister?" Audrey asked.

"You know…articial insemination? Daniel Linderman took a bit of me, bit of Carter, made Vally and used my mom as a surrogate?"

Audrey could only stare. "You're…joking."

Madrid laughed. "I wish." Her brow furrowed. "Wait…it happened different here?"

Audrey smiled. "I've got something you'll want to see."

^&^&^&^

"You know…" Carter said as Gabriel dragged him into one of the guard's stations, the sounds of battle ringing about them, "…in my world father's don't grope their sons and drag them into unmonitored rooms…"

"Do you ever shut up?" Gabriel asked.

"Not really."

Gabriel groaned. "And I always wondered what it would be like if you were more like me." Gabriel began to pull off this clothing, revealing his Sylar outfit underneath. "Come on, we don't have much time."

"Exactly who are these people?" Carter asked as he yanked off his shirt, revealing the armored spandex that made up his Azreal costume.

"They call themselves the Humans First Organization. When it came out that some humans had superpowers, several groups arose to oppose them, claim their weren't human…demons or monsters or whatever. They didn't do much till their boss organized them…now they are one big pain in the neck." Gabriel pulled on his mask. "Listen, I don't know what your fancy powers are, what with the glowing hands, but when me and my Carter fought these guys, he was…well…worthless. My Carter can only manipulate powers…these guys are human."

Carter grinned as he yanked on the executioner's hood. "Then won't they be in for a surprise?"

^&^&^&^

Linda Fray fought against the strong arms that held her tight to the burly chest. She was bucking and snorting like a wild bull, doing all she could to break free.

It did no good.

BANG

The Haitian fell dead, blood sputtering from the wound in his chest.

"You are a good woman, Linda. We aren't mad at you, and no harm will come to you." The woman wielding the assault rifle stated. She circled the guards that were on their knees, hand behind their head, before turning back to Linda. "You put these animals away…along with other criminals. We respect that…we even understand your need to protect them…like a farmer protecting her piglets."

BANG

Another super villain fell dead.

"But me…I like slaughtering the little piggies." She waved her gun. "Wee wee wee…"

Linda glared at the woman. "Simone…if your father could see you now…"

"Don't!" Simone snarled. "Don't…I don't have a father."

Linda scoffed. "Deny all you wish…"

Simone backhanded her. "You know…I think I lied about you not getting hurt…"

"Let her go."

All those gathered turned as Sylar and Azreal emerged from the shadows.

"A bit more gravely. You sound like Triple H." Sylar stated.

Azreal cleared his throat. "I said…" he nearly coughed his throat hurting from trying to make his tone raw. "…let her go."

Simone chuckled, before firing off a shot. Sylar just managed to throw out his hand, halting the bullet. "Poor Azreal…we have the same goals…if only you weren't a demon spawn." She fired another shot, once again Sylar using his power to stop the bullet. "But sadder still…you are facing the one opponent you can't beat…not with your powers." She fired two more shots. "I wonder how many Sylar can stop?"

Azreal glanced over at his partner. "Let the next one go."

"You can't be…"

"Trust me." Azreal turned to Simone, holding out his arms. "Give me your best shot."

Simone grinned, leveling her gun. "Ok…goodbye."

BANG

Carter stumbled back, blood leaking onto his uniform. Simone turned her weapon towards Sylar, giddy that the feared Azreal had been so rash.

But he never fell.

"Oh…that tickled." Azreal stated, reaching down and digging the bullet from his chest. "Ow…this mortal wound hurt me." He dropped the bullet, taking a step forward, feeling his skin knit itself up. The other members of Simone's team raised their weapons, only for Sylar to flick them away. "You didn't hear?" He removed his clothes, his hands bursting into flames. "Azreal got an upgrade."

It wasn't a battle.

It was a slaughter.

Sylar could only watch as the man that bore his son's face rushed back and forth along the main cellblock, moving to the point of being just a blur. One strike of his hand brought grown men to their knees, sobbing and begging for him to go away. Bullets didn't faze him, guns he broke in half like toothpicks, and through it all was the brilliant glow of his fingers driving the invaders mad.

In the end, only Simone remained, staring in defiance at Azreal as he held her pinned to the ground.

"You failed, lady." Azreal snarled, wishing he could stop talking with the stupid Christian Bale Batman voice. "You lost."

"I lost…but so have you…soon this world will be remade, and you only aidded in your destruction."

"What are you talking about…"

Sylar turned, inspecting the cells. "I know." Azreal turned towards Sylar. "It's Peter…" He pointed to an empty cell. "He escaped."

^&^&^&^

Peter Petrelli grinned as he got into the van, shaking hands with the driver. "About time your dad broke me out, Mohinder."

Mohinder Suresh, second in command of the Human's First Organization, giving Peter a grin. "To the steady go the spoils. Do you have our passenger?"

Peter nodded, dragging the unconscious form of Ando into the van. "Yeah…drive."

^&^&^&^

"Honey, we're home and not dead!" Gabriel called out,once again in civilian attire.

"How can you be so calm? A serial killer escaped." Carter muttered.

"In our line of work, that happens a lot." Gabriel stated.

Carter rolled his eyes, entering the living room. "Well, we're screwed, Madrid. Hiro is dead, and unless we can find another time traveler…" He stopped short, staring at the video Madrid was watching. "What is this?"

Madrid motioned for him to sit down, leaning into him as tears welled in her eyes. "A miracle."

On the screen, men and women moved about a hospital room, machines beeping and a woman's voice crying out in pain.

Madrid's voice.

"Madrid…is this…what I think it is?" His voice filled with raw emotion.

Madrid's eyes never left the screen as she grabbing Carter's hand and held it tight. "Yes…its our daughter being born."

The two watched the alternate versions of themselves on the tape for what seemed like hours. Finally, a tiny cry issued forth, and the next thing the two knew, the tape showed a tiny, squirming newborn being placed in alternate Madrid's arms.

"Any idea for names?" The cameraman, Gabriel, asked.

"Valencia." Alternate Madrid whispered, the Madrid watching mouthing the words.

"Vally." Alternate Carter said, voice trembling as he ran a finger along alternate Vally's soft, thin baby hair.

"My God…" Carter whispered, clinging to his wife. "My God."

All Madrid could do was cry, viewing something she had never dreamed of seeing.

THe moment was broken when Tina entered, sitting beside Carter.

"This is so beautiful…look at how beautiful our daughter is."

Carter and Madrid slowly turned to stare at her.

Tina sighed. "Ok, too soon. By the way, there is a helicopter on the lawn."

"…what?"

^&^&^&^

"Are you sure they didn't follow you?" Audrey asked as the family moved onto the lawn as the helicopter powered down.

Gabriel nodded. "Suresh would have shot first…and he wouldn't fly the British flag."

Claude Raines stepped out of the helicopter, looking the group over. "Carter Daniels?"

Carter raised his hand.

"Ah…good then. The Prime Minister wishes to speak with you." He turned on heel and hurried back to the chopper.

Vally yawned as she trudged up behind the adults, the special bear dragging on the ground as she rubbed her eyes. "Mama…what's goin' on?"

Madrid looked down. "Vally, stay back."

"The Prime Minister of Great Britian." Claude announced.

The Prime Minister stepped out of the helicopter, taking in the scene before him.

Vally grinned. "Uncle Malcolm!" She squealed, superspeeding to the Prime Minister and leaping into his outstretched arms.

Malcolm Grant held Vally close as Ellie joined him, both dressed in almost regal formal attire. They moved across the lawn, before coming to a stop before Carter.

"Got us into another mess, Metatron?" Malcolm teased. "Got room for 2 more outcasts from the mother dimension?"


	76. Ink

"Yes…this is truly a disaster." Malcolm said, shaking his head at the scene before him. "I am surprised any of you survived."

Carter frowned. "Yes, yes it is."

"Truly terrible." Madrid stated.

Ellie shook her head. "I might have only known you guys for a couple weeks, but even I can see how bad this is."

Claire shook her head. "Its…just Dora."

Malcolm nodded. "Exactly…I'm surprised Supergirl didn't destroy the whole bloody house."

"Not for a lack of trying." Carter stated, staring out thewindow, where Vally sat in a tree, aiming a sling shot. "Vally!"

The toddler glared at him before superspeeding out of the tree, through the house and to his side.

"You're not fair,daddy." She glared at the room. "One day, Dora…one day."

Carter placed his hand on Vally's back. "yes, we all know, one day you will kill the cute cartoon character. That's nice. Let's go down stairs."

"I mean it daddy…gonna punch her, and kick her, and make Boots into boots!" Vally was practically cackling with evil glee.

Gabriel, Audrey, Claire and Tina only stood there, jaws hanging open, as the refugees from the other dimension went downstairs.

^&^&^&^

(Human's First Group's Temporary Headquarters)

Peter looked down at the tied up form of Ando, then back up at Chandra Suresh. "And you are sure this skinny piece of work is going to lead us…"

"Everything I have observed and researched as shown that Ando is the key to everything." Chandra frowned, turning away from Ando. "But we have new problems." He led Peter to another room, where men and women who had freed him lay, thrashing against their restraints. "Azreal."

"The slayer of supers?"

"Not anymore…he did this."

Peter took a step forward. "But…if we succeed…he won't be a danger to us."

"Except he may be on our trail."

Peter smirked. "I assume then you have a plan?"

Chandra gave him a dark look. "Don't I always?"

^&^&^&^

"So what…WHERE did you say this universe's Carter is?"

Malcolm shook his head. "I am going to only explain this one more time, and if you ask me that again, I will bloody beat your head in with one of those Dora dolls." He stood up, looking at the gathering before him. They were all seated in the living room, trying to wrap their heads around what Malcolm was explaining.

"I for one understand all of it." Tina stated proudly. "The Multiverse theory states every time we make a choice, we create a new universe, separate from our own. In one dimension, everything is the same except I one day had 2 spoonfuls of sugar in my cereal instead of one."

Malcolm nodded. "Yes. Sometimes the dimensions are similar, others they are vastly different. There could be worlds where you, Carter, are some multi-billionaire who is also the god of war who loves children's card games, or another where you are the leader of a dark magic cult with the brother you never had as your second in command, or even a world where everyone is suffering from flashforwards."

"This dimension and the one you came from differ for one event." Tina stated.

"The World's Fair." Gabriel answered. "Two people appeared and the fact people had powers was revealed to the world."

"We now know those two were Derek and Marie." Madrid said.

Malcolm nodded. "Now, in this universe, it wasn't Derek and Marie that went back…it could have been anyone, but it wasn't them. When Derek and Marie went back, they took on the roles of those two from this alternate universe…"

"Which universe?" Carter said with a groan.

Ellie held up a hand. "We come from Universe A, this is Universe B."

"Why are we B?" Claire asked.

Gabriel rubbed his temples. "Continue."

"When Derek and Marie went back in time in Universe A, they made it resemble Universe B. There can never be two duplicate universes, so whenever a timetraveler does this, the universes merge, with the dominate universe, in our case B, taking over." Malcolm turned to Gabriel. "You are both Gabriel the loving father of Carter, and Gabriel the insane killer. But the insane killer might well be dead…he doesn't exist, has no memories or even thought…you are totally in control."

Vally stuck her tongue out as she drew her battle plans for destroying the Dora Room.

Carter held up his hand. "Ok…to summarize so far…many universes. When a time traveler makes one look like the other, the two merge into 1 universe with one being the dominate and the other basically gone."

Tina nodded. "Exactly."

"So why do we remember?" Ellie asked.

Tina blinked. "Uh…"

Malcolm grinned. "Derek. Derek is the reason why." He stood up."This is something I have been working on…probing the chaos lines. There were 2 types of humans…regular and enhanced."

Claire's hand ignited into flames. "Enhanced, right?"

"Right." Malcolm stated. "But now a third group has arisen, because of Vally…I call it the amped enhanced human."

"Amped?" Audrey asked.

Vally grinned. "I'm special!" She superspeeded about the room, before bursting into her pink flamed form and twisting a fire place poker into a pretzel.

The resients of Universe B stared.

"Vally's power allows her to amplify the abilities of others. When she does this, she enhanced the natural abilities of a person." Ellie said. "I am a bit stronger and faster, but the big thing is I now have super healing." She cut her wrist and it began to heal up.

Madrid nodded. "I am able to duplicate anything…from a limb to this house. Use to only be able to dupe pillows and moneys."

Carter grunted, going first into his Metatron form, then his ascended form. "_**You don't want to know what I can now do.**_"

Malcolm nodded. "And my control over the chaos lines was grown complete." He paused. "To make matters even stranger…in our universe, we met a Vally from the future."

Vally grinned. "I'm married, and have a daughter, and I'm a super hero." She bounced up and down happily. "And I get boobies!"

"Vally!" Madrid shouted.

Vally gave a sly grin. "Big ones."

"Vally…." Carter warned.

Claire raised her hand. "how big?" Gabriel smacked her upside the head. "OW!"

"The point…" Malcolm stated, "Other than the toddler getting DDs, is that future Valencia is married to a man named Derek. Derek was also amped, as far as I have gathered. This caused his own power to change…to allow him to become different than Hiro and other time travelers. Derek, when he travels, cuts the fabric of space and time. This results in a bleed, a pocket outside of time that protects those witin. When Derek exploded, causing him and Marie to travelto the World's Fair, we all leapt inside, protecting us from the merging of the universes. When the cut sealed, we ended up here and merged with our Universe B counterparts, but we, instead of them, were dominate."

Audrey frowned, looking at Carter. "So our Carter…is inside you?

Carter patted himself.

Malcolm nodded. "Wouldn't be surprised if your Carter can see and hear this, but has no control…he is a soul in another body, only able to watch."

"So how do we separate them…and our universes?" Claire asked.

Malcolm rubbed his hands together. "About bloody time. We need to go back in time…Carter was right about that. THe second step is finding the body of Hiro Nakamura."

"And what's the first?" Audrey asked.

"We can't use him if he is dead." Malcolm answered. "We need to bring him back to like."

"Oh, is that all?" Claire grumbled.

Malcolm ignored her. "A healer's blood has special properties that, when injected even in a corpse, will cause it to come back to life. But it must be a nature healer…amped humans, while healers, will not do. We need a healer's blood."

"Except this Claire shoots fire, Malcolm." Carter reminded him.

Malcolm grinned. "Which is why we need another one of your relatives, Carter." He turned to Gabriel. "Who killed Adam Monroe?"

Audrey shook her head. "Why do you need to know?"

"Because the chaos lines are telling me whoever did it knows how we can get some of Adam's blood."

Gabriel shifted, unease. "He is in hiding…he just wants to be with his family"

"Who is it?" Malcolm pressed.

Gabriel sighed. "His name…is Victor Daniels."

Carter's eyes widened. "Dad?"

^&^&^&^

Ando groaned, his body feeling like it was on fire.

"These needles…they are dipped in a nice little poison…causes your nerves to feel like they are exploding." Chandra picked up another one. "Tell me…where is the body of Hiro Nakamura?"

Ando shifted, panting. "I'll….I'll tell you…but I want something."

Chandra smiled. "Of course."

Ando looked at the ceiling. "Why…do you want Hiro?"

Chandra rubbed his chin. "Because I now see that this world can not be saved through our current actions…we came to be too late. Now…if only I had been around at the turn of the century, when all this madness began…" He chuckled, playing with the needle, poking Ando with it. "Now…what do you want as payment?"

^&^&^&^

(2 Hours Later-Flint, Michigan.)

Gabriel was on his hands and knees, panting. Audrey, Claire and Tina were not doing that well either, which was to be expected, considering they had just traveled across the country in 5 minutes.

Carter looked down at his shoes and sighed, stripping off the destroyed leather and taking the pair Madrid had duplicated for him. "That's why I hate breaking the sound barrier."

Vally giggled. "Again, again!"

"Please no…" Claire moaned.

Madrid walked up to Carter, who was staring at the house before them with forboding. "You ok?"

Carter just stared. "I haven't been home in almost a year…after that entire thing with Nathan and the US government…didn't think I'd get to see this place again."

He felt Madrid wrap her arms around him, her chin resting on his shoulder. "We do this, and we will be able to go back and see your real home."

Carter nodded, steeling his heart. "Ok…let's go." He took a step forward, ready to confront whatever lay inside.

CLICK

He froze as the rifle was pointed at you.

"Leave." Vic Daniels said coldly.

"Dad…" Carter whispered.

Madrid stepped forward, the others remaining behind. "Mr. Daniels…we don't mean you any harm…we need your help."

Vic narrowed his eyes. "Not interested."

Malcolm took a step forward. "The fate of two universes…"

CLICK

Helena Daniels emerged from seemingly no where, two hand guns pointed at Malcolm. "My husband said no."

Ellie shook her head. "You people with guns. First off, if we were a threat, why would webring the toddler?"

"Yeah!" Vally asked, before hiding the baseball bat she had brought behind her back.

Vic shook his head. "I've seen toddlers do damage…and I know they aren't always toddlers."

"Because of your power." Carter said, causing Vic to freeze. "I know who you are…your powers. In another time and place…I called you dad."

Vic seemed shaken, but then he ground himself. "And I know who you are, Azreal…you try and kill me, and my girl will kill you."

Gabriel held out his hand, flicking the guns away. "I doubt that."

"He wasn't talking about my mother." A new voice called out. None of them had a chance to react before all but Carter and Vally were on the ground, screaming in fear, clutching their heads.

Carter turned, igniting his hands, staring at the newcomer, the woman that had called his mother and father her own.

The woman's own hands glowed like his, whammy flames dancing on her fingers. Her short, dark hair framed her face, and the duster…the duster Carter had been wishing was on his shoulders, billowed behind her as she glared at him, daring him to attack.

Vally frowned. "Daddy…who's that?"

Carter had gone completely white, as if he had seen a ghost.

Which, in a way, he had.

"…Eden?"


	77. Hysterical Blindness

Carter stared at Eden, trying to wrap his head around what he was seeing. The last time he had seen Eden, she was an angel, aloof and glowing with holy light, teaching him how to be a hero.

This Eden was dressed in HIS duster, her hair cut short and the only glow at all coming from her hands…where her own version of his whammy flames burned.

That was the other thing that was throwing him…he had seen others with his fire…Vally, her future self, future Valencia's brother and daughter…but never true whammy flames, emotion manipulating fires.

This Eden…was the Metatron of this Universe.

"My name is not Eden." The woman snarled. "My name is Sarah Daniels…now get the hell away from my dad!" She fired another blast, Carter raising his hand and catching it, letting the fire be absorbed by his own.

"Calm down…" He held out his own hand, undoing the whammy done to the others. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Eden/Sarah glared at him. "There is something up with you…I can feel your emotions warring." She fired another blast, Carter catching it. "How…"

Carter burst into his Metatron form.

"You are not the only one with gifts, Eden…" He held out his arms wide. "But some of us are stronger than you."

Eden/Sarah raised an eyebrow…before igniting into her own Metatron form. "Is that so?" She ran at him, managing to get a punch in due to his shock. "And my name is SARAH!"

Carter caught her fist, flames sucking in as he entered his final, ascended form. "Ok Sarah…" Carter ground out, growing frustrated, "I will ask again…calm…down!"

"You first." She stated, headbutting him.

Carter snapped his head back, moving to grab her hand again…

Only for him to fall to his knees, Sarah joining him, their flames snuffed out in an instant as their eyes glowed pink, weakness filling their limbs.

"Bad daddy." Vally said sternly, her in own ascended form, her energy-body shimmer as she stared down the two of them, tapping her foot. "Bad Aunt Eden…time out!" She slammed her hands down, and Carter and Sarah fell to the ground, weak as kittens.

"Vally…" Madrid said slowly, walking towards her.

Vally looked up at her mother, noticing the others were watching her in shock. "Too much?"

"Yup."

She focused, and Carter and Sarah felt their powers return, as well as their strength. "Sorry daddy, sorry Aunt Eden." Vally said as she hugged Madrid's leg, body returning to normal.

Malcolm slowly approached the two, before grabbing each by the ear, Carter and Sarah yelping as he dragged them up. "Well then, now that we are done having the whammy measuring contest, can we go inside and figure out how we are going to save the world?"

^&^&^&^

"This is just too strange." Carter muttered, running his fingers through his hair. He was sitting his living room, with his parents…except the photos in there were of Sarah, and his parents were checking her over for injuries and staring at him like he was the interloper.

"This is the strangest thing for you?" Claire asked. "The travel through dimension thingie…that's fine…but this is too strange?"

"It is for me." Sarah said, applying an icepack to her neck. Se held out her hands, letting the flames dance on her fingers. "Granted…it was a close race…"

Helena glared at Carter. "You honestly want us to believe that you are a timetraveler…"

"Suvivors of universal convergence." Malcolm interjected. "Huge difference."

"Whatever. You are survivors of this whatsit, where, in your 'dimension', I am your mother and Vic was your father?" She shook her head, leaning back. "I'm sorry, Mr. Gray, but you are not getting me to buy that."

"Daniels." Carter corrected. "My name is Carter Daniels."

"Not offended in the slightest." Gabriel muttered.

"Actually, it is Ellis." Vic stated, to the surprise of his wife and daughter. "And you are my grandson."

Carter smirked slightly."Good to see something didn't change in this world."

"Dad?" Sarah whispered. "What are you…"

"I told you a few months ago I was your biological grandfather." Vic stated, for a moment aging himself into an old man before reverting to normal. "I told you that your father…a drunk and a womanizer, had many children. Carter…is the last."

"Last scion of the House of Ellis." Carter muttered.

Sarah shook her head. "He's…actually my brother?"

"Yes."

Helena held up a hand. "That's nice and touching…but just because they share a dad doesn't mean Carter here is being honest about the dimension thing."

Carter leaned forward. "There is a way to prove it." He turned to Sarah. "Call upon your flames."

"What?"

Carter moved to stand beside her, his own hand glowing. "You have learned how to control emotions without calling out the name. But there is more to that. You can change the chemicals in the brain, you can see how they flow. Focus on Madrid…feel what she is feeling…sense her honesty."

Sarah took a calming breath before igniting her fingers, focusing on Madrid. Vally watched on, cradled her mother's arms, as Sarah's eyes began to glow.

"She's telling the truth…I can feel it." Sarah said at long last. "This is…amazing."

Carter smiled slightly. "You have only scratched the surface of what these powers can do."

"Why are you here?" Helena asked.

Malcolm tapped the coffee table. "That's the rub, Mrs. Daniels. We 5…we are trapped in this dimension. And I would personally like to get back to one where things make sense. Granted, I enjoy being Prime Minister and all that…but I think the Malcolm of this dimension would like control. To do that, we need a dead time traveler alive and kicking."

"…you need my father's blood." Vic stated.

"We know you took the last vial of Adam Monroe's blood, Vic." Madrid stated. "We need it."

Helena shook her head. "This is insane…"

"They are telling the truth, mom." Sarah stated. "They need the vial."

Vic sighed, leaning back against the couch. "There is no other way?"

"None that we have found." Ellie admitted.

Helena stood up, pacing in front of them all. "You can't be serious Vic! You swore you'd never let that vial go…that it was too dangerous…"

The window behind Helena shattered.

Time slowed to a crawl as Helena looked down, staring dumbly at the blood gushing from her chest, a trickle of it leaking from her open mouth before she fell.

"Helena!"

"Mom!"

Malcolm's eyes went white. "DOWN!"

It was too late.

The second bullet ripped through Vic's chest, sending him crashing to the floor. Carter dove in front of the window, bellowing as another two bullets ripped through him, his wounds healing. Gabriel shook himself from his shock, sending furniture to block the window.

Sarah trembled as she crawled towards her mouth, hands fluttering like bird wings as she stared down at Helena's still, lifeless eyes. "No…no no no…" She began to chant, over and over.

"Oh God." Tina whispered.

Carter fell to his knees, tears in his eyes as he neared his mother. "Oh…oh…" He stammered, unable to say anything more.

"Grandma?" Vally whispered before Madrid forced her to look away.

"Carter…" Vic whispered, Claire and Audrey trying to stop the flow of blood. "Sarah…"

The two children that called him father dragged themselves to his side. "Daddy." Sarah whispered.

"D-d-d-dad…" Carter stuttered.

Vic smiled weakly. "Sarah…its going to be…ok. I love you."

"Daddy…daddy don't…"

"Carter…" Vic managed to get out. "Nathan…Nathan has…the vial."

And with that, Vic Daniels was gone.

"Daddy!" Sarah scaremed, wrapped her arms around his cooling form. Carter sat their, still and mute, taking it all in.

Audrey and Claire backed away, feeling like intruders at the scene.

Vally sobbed in her mother's arms.

Malcolm's eyes returned to normal. "It was too fast…there was nothing we could have done…I'm sorry." Ellie wrapped her arms around him.

"Who?" Carter said, his voice eerily calm. "Who did this?"

Malcolm focused, tracing the chaos lines… "The Human's First Group…they are wait outside for us to come out…they are going to shoot us down."

Carter kept his back to all of them, tense. "There are no words left."

And then the moodshifted.

Like a jetfighter preparing to take off, a terrible hum filled the house. Carter slowly rose, Sarah following him a moment later, their bodies seeming to almost grow larger before those gathered. The silver whammy flames were gone, replaced by fire as black as pitch. Carter slowly turned his head, and red glowing eyes stared back at them.

"Maybe we should…" Madrid began, before Vally trembled, her own pink flames suddenly going blood red, eyes dark. Madrid nearly dropped her daughter at the sight.

"Run." Malcolm whispered.

"What?" Gabriel whispered.

"We need to run…now."

He grabbed Ellie's hand and bolted for the back, the others confused and still only for a moment before Carter and Eden's flames erupted, lashing out at all around them. Madrid was the only one to remain, Vally's own flames the only thing protecting her.

"Carter!" She called out.

He turned to them two of them, blazing eyes causing Madrid's soul to quiver. "Vally." He stated. No other words were needed.

Madrid screamed as Vally activated her power, the red flames ripping through the four of them. Sarah fell to her knees, Madrid trembled, and Carter doubled over as Vally once more amplified their abilities. Madrid balled her hand into a fist as she felt the new strength and speed invade her limbs. Sarah rose up, using a fingernail to cut her arm and watching as the wound healed. Vally merely watched, body trembling with anticipation.

Carter went into his ascended form.

^&^&^&^

"Sir." The Human's First agent called out, rushing to his commanding officer. The Officer kept his sniper rifle trained on the window that had been covered. "We are getting reports of lifeforms making their way out the back door."

"Send a squad around then…shoot to kill."

"We still have 3 in the living room…a possible fourth…a small one…"

"The toddler, Valencia Gray." The sniper stated. "Keep targeted on them."

"If they emerge?"

"Shoot to kill."

"And the toddler?"

The sniper shrugged. "Shoot to k-"

The front of the house exploded.

The agents, being nearly a quarter of a mile away, still took a step back as wood and drywall blew out from the house. They watched as three figures emerged, the only one not covered in black flames cradling a red fireball in her arms.

"Seems we got Carter Gray's attention." The sniper stated, taking his shot.

The bullet struck Carter right in the chest.

He continued towards them, his flames glowing hotter.

"Miss." THe agent trembled.

The sniper shook his head in disbelief. "No…killshot." It was the last thing he got to say before the attack came.

Sarah Daniels' hands began to charge up, the jetfire engine hum that always came whenever the whammy flames grew more intense now deafening. She brought her hand up, palm outstretched.

If anyone was around to witness this moment, they might have found it interesting to see how the three beings now covered in flames commanded their fires. Sarah held her hand out wide, as if giving them a warning to stop before she blasted them with her power. Vally wielded her flames as only a little girl could, like a magician casting spells, throwing out the fire like softballs.

Carter's hand never opened. The moment he had entered that mint, those many months ago, he had always attacked with a fist, as if his hand were a cannon. The blast came from his whole arm, the recoil like a shotgun.

Madrid had already sprouted extra arms, , usning them to move Vally to her back and keep her there, the others going for her guns. She twisted and danced about, springing her and there as she aided her husband as best she could. Madrid was like a gymnast doing her floor routine, every hit having the second benefit of launching her into the next assault. Men fell before they could raise their weapons, and when they believed her to be to far away to attack, that's when she would spring through the air and land on top of them.

Vally was not a mere observer either. Her eyes flashes dark as she fired blast after blast, sending long waves out that had men and women on the gorund, no longer able even to summon the strength to move. The image of yet another set of grandparents taken from her burned in her mind, and her words to her father's birth mother echoed all about her. _"You hurt my daddy…so I hurt you"_

Sarah was Helena's daughter. It was clear in how she battled. She appeared to be moving without purpose, but that was merely a front, a cover for the fact that she was always looking for the best shot. She protected herself and watched out for her allies, using her attacks not only to take out enemies but protect them. If a body could be used as a shield or a weapon picked up, it was an opportunity she never let slip.

Carter was the Metatron. The Voice of God. Emotion given form. And in this moment, rage was all he proclaimed. He moved like a freight train, going for the most damage he could. A whammy blast shot out like tank fire, every punch reducing bone to dust. At times he would become so focused on beating an already dead corpse that other agents would swarm around him, only to scream as his skin ripped open and his flames exploded like hellfire.

It was after one blast that he and Sarah saw him. The sniper. Their parents' killer.

"Bennet." Carter snarled.

Noah Bennet dropped his rifle and pulled out to handguns, unloading the clips at Carter's head.

The Metatron merely sidestepped them, letting them kill the agent trying to sneak up behind him.

"Why?" Sarah demanded, marching towards him.

Bennet sneered as he took several steps back. "Just finishing what your mother started, Sarah." He taunted. He glared at Carter. "And what that fire should have finished." Carter continued towards him. "You both should be dead…and those traitors in their harbored you." He took out a grenade. "But they died for the cause…they will be remembered well for their sacrifice…somewhere in that house Victor Daniels has Adam Monroe's blood…and we will use it to correct the mistake that is your kind."

Bennet moved to throw the grenade.

Carter's hands latched onto his own, locking over the explosive.

BOOM

Bennet screamed as his hands were blown clear away, Carter trembling slightly as his grew back. Sarah was on him in an instant, holding him by the throat and punching him till his nose shattered, blood covering Bennet's face.

Carter's body pulsed.

"You have long wondered Bennet, when sleep alludes you and you find yourself alone in the darkness…are those you hate human? I am sure you have convinced yourself they are not. But I tell you this…if they are more than human…" Carter spread his arms out. "Then I am a god."

And with that, he exploded.

^&^&^&^

It was several minutes later that Malcolm finally gave the ok for the others to return back to the house. Gabriel and Claire had been able to deal with the handful of agents sent to capture them, and now they were returning to the scene of tragedy.

What awaited them was utter destruction.

Bodies lay torn apart on the Daniels' family front lawn, as well as the fields that surrounded it. Madrid sat slumped against a tree, Vally nearly asleep in her arms, warn out. The body of Noah Bennet had been driven onto a telephone pole, his face twisted in fear and agony as his dead hands still clutched the wooden pole that shot up from his chest, as if trying to yank it out.

Carter and Sarah stood, looking at their parents' killer.

"If you do this…if you separate our universes…will they live?" Sarah asked.

Carter gulped. "Mine…not yours."

Sarah's tears fell. "But will they live…even if it is another version?"

"…yes."

Sarah turned to him. "Then I will help you…on one condition." Carter waited. "When you go back…when you return to them…I'm coming with you."

Carter licked his lips. "Are you sure? They won't remember you."

Sarah closed her eyes, tears falling. "Better that then…there is nothing left for me here."

Carter wrapped an arm around her as they cried.

Author's Note: I am glad, at long last, I was able to get around to describing what the whammy flames SOUND like. Some people have asked if they sounded like Meredith's flames, but whenever Carter charges his fist, it sounds like a jet engine or some sci machine machine revving up. The musical equivilant, I guess, would be the Joker's theme from The Dark Knight…a violin string growing tighter and tighter but the tension never breaks.

Originally, I debated keeping the idea that Sarah (Eden) would return with Carter a secret, but I just felt this chapter was too sad not to throw that in. Of course, fans that have good memories will remember that future Valencia makes reference to an "Aunt Sarah" who she will later name her daughter after.


	78. Tabula Rasa

Gabriel looked down at the garden, the shade of the pine trees casting a dark pale over his task. Behind him, Malcolm Grant stood, the only one to join him.

"I never saw how bad this was." Malcolm whispered.

"What was?" Gabriel questioned.

"Death." Malcolm stated. "My powers…they were enhanced by Valencia. I use to just see the lines…now they speak to me. They cry out in a thousand voices…and I never knew just how bad death was."

Gabriel didn't say anything for a very long time. "Death is never easy."

"You don't understand." Malcolm stated. "Everyone…each of us…we are connected. These lines that I see, they bind us all. You…me…the trees, the rocks, the very air itself. All of it is connected."

Gabriel frowned. "You sound like a Disney film."

"Maybe they were right then." Malcolm answered back. "Call it whatever you want…call it God, or string theory or psychic forces, whatever you desire…but we are all connected, every one of us. And I know only this …some bonds strong than others. But still, even the weakest bond is tied to us. And right now…two lines just went dark." He closed his eyes. "And their darkness has spread to all the rest The world gets darker, the lights dim, the msuci grows quiet…curtain call, fade to black." He shook his head sadly. "We all die a little when this happens. No matter how unconnected we are…we all die a little bit."

Gabriel held up his hands, using his power to dig out two deep graves.

"Yeah…we do." He finally stated.

^&^&^&^

"Vally?" Tina asked, kneeling next to the child that wore her adopted daughter's face. "Sweetie…"

Vally had wiggled herself behind a couch, curled up in a ball and her thumb in her mouth, sucking on it hard. Her eyes were filled with tears, she refused to even look at Tina as she just hummed some nonsense song to herself.

"Vally?" Tina whispered.

"Is she always like this?" Claire asked.

Ellie shook her head. "I've known her a week at best…but she's a tough little girl. She's led a…interesting life, all be it a short time."

Claire nodded as Tina tried to coax the 4 year old from her hiding spot. "I can imagine."

"No." Ellie stated. "You really can't."

"Vally…please come her…its ok…" Tina whispered. "its ok to be sad…when someone you love goes to Heaven, its ok to cry."

Vally sniffed. "Not that." She stated. She looked at Tina. "My first mommy and daddy, they died." She rocked back and forth. "Back when mama was Maddy…our mommy and daddy died. Maddy said…they had gone to Heaven. Maddy wanted to go to Heaven too, but she stated for me." Vally paused. "Daddy says Heaven is nice. He was there."

Tina glanced at Ellie, who merely nodded. "They all says he was…dead for a whole day."

"And Maddy…she died. The bad man, who took me…he shot her. But then, I cried…and she came back…but she was my mama." Vally wrapped her arms around her knees. "Uncle Marshal when the Heaven too. I miss him."

Tina gulped, tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry."

Vally turned to her. "I'm scared."

"Because of what happened?" Tina asked.

"Yeah…daddy's sad." Vally whispered.

"Yes, he is." Tina confirmed.

Vally shuddered. "I don't daddy being sad." She finally crawled out, allowing Tina to hug her tight.

^&^&^&^

Sarah stared at the mirror before her, eyes puffy and red. The figure that watched back was a wreck, a shattered woman that made want to scream and protest. The poor creature, looking have dazed, still covered in the blood of her parents and that of their murderers, limbs twitching at odd moments. She looked nothing like the woman she had been, the woman trained by Helena Daniels, taught the way of the sword by Vic Daniels, the mistress of emotions. She looked…like a scared little girl.

She didn't like looking like that.

She glared at her reflection, turning her eyes finally to the mirror image of her brother…her brother…sitting on the bed, near catatonic, his wife holding him close as he stared at the floor. The strength had left him at the end of the battle, Madrid later explaining this was a weakness of getting amped by Vally. Sarah had felt it herself, Gabriel helping her back to the house while Ellie and Claire dealt with a weak Madrid and Malcolm had been given an unconscious Cater. Seemed that Vally's amps would accelerate the body, only for it to go into a shock once the person finally took a breath. Her brother, she had gathered, had nearly died the first time.

The air around her hummed as her right hand burst into silver flames.

She was the mistress of emotions, and yet she could not control her own. Her heart bled for the death of her mother and father, and she felt such hatred at everyone, even herself, for letting it happen.

She slowly raised her hand, staring at the mirror. She had never whammied herself…not geatly, anyway. She had tried, a few minor, soft jolts…nothing more than that. But she knew what she could do…and now she knew she could do so much more.

Could she wipe the pain away, clean? Could she erase it, purge it from her soul?

She raised her hand.

Carter's fingers were on her wrist.

She didn't know how he had gotten there so fast.

His eyes blazed as he forced her hand away. "Don't." He stated. "Its not worth it."

"Shouldn't I decide that?" Sarah challenged. "I can deal with pain."

"I am not talking about pain. I am talking about dealing with pain. I've used my powers to stop myself from feeling pain…pain caused by my childhood. But it isn't worth it. I hate myself that I am this week, that I need to whammy my brain to not crawl into a corner and sob every time I…I think of my past…of the time in the orphanage." He shook his head. "It isn't worth it, Sarah. It only brings you worst pain. These powers…they too easily become a crutch, and when that happens…its not worth it." He smiled weakly. "You don't think I want to do the same thing as you? Burn my pain away? But if you love them…love our mother and father…you will honor their memory and not change yourself…not over this."

Sarah's flames died as she finally collapsed, sobbing in her brother's arms.

Madrid watched on for only a moment before she wrapped her arms on both.

^&^&^&^

"We lay to rest Helena and Vic Daniels." Malcolm stated, looking over the graves, the bodies wrapped in blankets. Gabriel stood by, Vally in his arms. Ellie and Audrey stood nearby with Claire and Tina, while Madrid, Carter and Sarah stood beside the graves. Malcolm had been elected to lead the simple ceremony.

They knew they didn't have long. Carter had used one final whammy blast to make the neighbors not look outside and see the blood and carnage, and Gabriel had gotten rid of the bodies, driving them into the earth. But they all knew that the Human's First Group would return, and none of them felt like dealing with them, yet.

"They say that we all must die. But they are wrong…and I speak not of the immortals in this group." He shook his head, smirking slightly. "We are all immortal. Each of us, through ways we do not seem to understand. We live on through the connections we make. Through the lives we touch. Through those that we love, that we care for. Yes, the world can grow dark…but all it takes is a memory to bring it to life once more.

"We have many families…and yet they are the same. One giant family, of friends, of family, of lost loves and forgotten heroes. This family, it protects us…it guards us from a world that we don't want to see…be it because of past pain," He looked at Carter and Madrid, "or misunderstand," He glanced at Tina, then Gabriel, "or even our own foolishness." Claire's eyes went towards the ground.

"Now, we find ourselves gathered at a fork in the road. And I ask you…which one would Helena and Vic want us to take. One way is paved with fear. The other road is paved…with redemption." Malcolm held out his hands. "What path would Helena and Vic want us to go down?"

Gabriel nodded when Malcolm grew quiet, and with a sweep of his hand, buried Carter and Sarah's parents within the ground.

After the small service, Carter approached Malcolm. "You know that path of redemption?"

"Yeah?"

Carter's eyes went dark. "You forgot to mention vengeance."

^&^&^&^

Within the house, Madrid hurried to pack up their belongings. They did not have time to wait around, and each of them knew they would need to leave soon. She looked at her boots, knowing that, like the last time, running at the speed of sound would shred them to bits, leaving her barefoot by the time they arrived back in LA. She held up the black leather boots, stylish and practical, and focused on duplicating them.

A hum filled the air, and Madrid screamed as red whammy flames burst from her hands, creating the replica boots.

"…hoy…"


	79. Strange Attractors

(Los Angles)

"Wow."

Madrid glared at Carter, holding up her flaming red hand. "That's all you have to say to this?!?" She wagged a digit at his nose, Carter chuckling as he backed away. "You infected me!"

"Is that so?" He questioned with a smirk.

"What other reason could there be for me suddenly having fire pop out of my hands? You infected me with your Metatron germs!" She shouted. Her eyes flashed silver as her body erupted in crimson flames. "AAAA!"

Carter could only watch as his wife fell to the ground, rolling about Gabriel Gray's living room in a panic. It wasn't every day you saw someone in a Metatron form rolling about the carpet. "What are you doing?"

Madrid glared at him, her now dark red and fiery hair shaking about. "Stop drop and roll!" She shouted.

Carter sighed, grabbing her by the arm and lifting her up. "Madrid, sweetheart…whammy flames don't hurt your skin…they don't even burn."

Panting, Madrid stared at her husband, hands shaking. "But…I don't have whammy flames." She whispered in a child-like voice.

Silver flames suddenly appeared before her eyes. "You do now, baby." Carter whispered, his own fiery form wrapping around her. Madrid fell into his embrace, watching as their fires danced about each other, merging and twisting. "Like I said…"

"Wow." Madrid whispered. "How…how did this happen?"

Carter smirked. "The glowbug."

"Vally." Madrid muttered. "I need to talk to her about amping her mommy up…again." She closed her eyes. "We weren't meant to be able to rip tanks apart."

"If that is the limit to what she did to us." Carter commented. He took a calming breath, forcing his wife to mimic him, until their fires retreated. "See…no more flames."

"No more flames." She murmured, stilling holding him tight.

"…uh…Madrid…"

"mmm…" She purred, holding him closer.

"Listen, kinda had a meeting."

"It's been way to long." Madrid whispered, tugging at his shirt.

Carter licked his lips. "Uh…baby?"

Madrid looked up…and burst into flames again. "Wonder what it would be like…like this. All flames and spitfire…"

Carter's eyes narrowed as he began to glow, pulling off his shirt and Madrid wiggled her finger, drawing him back to the bed. "Naughty girl."

^&^&^&^

Sarah glared at her brother as he finally emerged from the bedroom. "You are 3 hours late."

Carter smirked. "I know."

"Do I want to even know what you were doing in there?" Sarah asked.

"Nope."

"Good."

Gabriel walked up to the two of them, casting a surprised look at Sarah. "I thought it would just be you and me going to see Nathan."

"Change of plans." Carter stated, taking his surro-dad's arm. "Sarah, meet me out front." He led a protesting Gabriel away, explaining to him why he would not be joining Carter on this mission.

"Are you insane?" Gabriel screamed, the last thing Sarah heard before she went outside.

^&^&^&^

Peter PEtrelli looked at the mutilated corpse of Noah Bennet, a slight smirk playing on his face. "You underestimated Vic."

Chandra Suresh grumbled. Ando had been playing coy, refusing to give out Hiro's burial spot until he was absolutely sure he was going to get what he wanted. Which meant Chandra had to play host to the little snot. Then he had to deal with Peter Petrelli and his snide little remarks. Peter hated those with powers, but Chandra had a feeling that was more because Peter wanted them himself than disliking the whole idea of beings out there that thought they were "better" than humans.

And now, his best hitman was dead, as were more of his agents, and the last known location of Adam Monroe's blood was lost with Vic Daniel's life.

"Someone else did this. Vic Daniels and that traitor to humanity, Helena, wouldn't have the power to do this."

"You thinking Azreal?"

Chandra shook his head. "Azreal could care less about us. The attack on the prison was just horrible timing…no, there are other forces at work here…"

Peter rolled his eyes, turning towards the exit. "Keep thinking that, I need some air."

Chandra didn't even acknowledge the statement as he considered his next act.

^&^&^&^

Nathan Petrelli wasn't ready for the doorbell to ring. He had spent all of the night before patrolling, fearful what his prodical son would do. First Carter had gone running through the city, only to slip through Gabriel's fingers, then Nathan had heard reports of Carter being involved in a prison break (stopping it, thankfully), so he didn't want to guess what he might do next. Patrol had turned up nothing but Madrid's Amazons, female heroes that didn't like men save for Carter. They never had liked him on their turf, meaning he had to move quick to avoid unneeded fights.

Sutmbling to the door, he pulled his robe shut. "He…llo?"

There was his son, dressed in jeans and a muscle shirt (when had his son gained biceps that made the shirt stretch like that) and a long black duster draped over his shoulders. Beside him stood a slightly older woman, her short dark hair and fiery eyes startling him at first…her resemblance to Carter even more so.

"Hello Nathan…" Carter stated. "We need to talk."

^&^&^&^

"Vally."

The toddler did not look up as she stuck her tongue out, Tina chuckling as the 4 year old put the next piece of the of Mousetrap board game together. "Yes mama?" Vally asked as she set the final cage. "This good trap, mama, but to long."

Madrid smiled slightly. "It's a game, Vally."

Vally nodded. "Should be shorter, catch Dora quicker." Madrid tilted her head, noticing that while Vally had the traditional mouse piece, but Claire and Tina had been using a Dora figure and a Boots figure from the alt-Vally's collection.

"Dora-trap." Claire snickered. "I personally love it…I hear "I Did It" one more time…"

Vally grinned. "I like her."

Tina, however, smacked Claire upside the head. "That is my daughter, I'll remind you. Your niece."

Claire rubbed her head. "Yes, my queen." She muttered.

Tina flashed a saucy grin at Madrid. "Don't know what you are missing, baby…here we are queens, have the most bad ass king in all of existence, a darling daughter…" Vally was entirely focused on trying to trap Boots and Dora in the cage, so she didn't even react to the statement, "…what do you have there?"

Madrid smirked. "My husband is a CEO and the toast of Europe. The President of the United States fears insulting him."

"…damn." Claire muttered.

She got smacked again for that one.

"Vally…" Madrid stated, kneeling down. "We need to talk about yesterday."

"Ok." Vally stated, frowning when Tina's Dora marker just avoided the capture square.

"I know you were upset, and I know for you, when you get upset, you amp people up."

Claire interrupted. "How strong are you now?"

Madrid frowned. "I use to be able to lift a small car over my head. Now, exerting myself, I think I could get a greyhound bus in the air." She paused. "With just two arms." Two more sprouted from her shoulders. "A couple more and I am as strong as Carter and Vally."

"That will always freak me out." Tina muttered. "And yet it gives me wonderful ideas…come on, one roll in the hay?"

Madrid ignored her. "But Vally, it isn't nice to amp people up when they don't want to be."

"Why?" Vally asked, still trying to trap Dora. "Didn't hurt."

Madrid sighed, holding out her hand and causing the whammy flames to appear. "Because now, when mommy wants to duplicate something, she gets whammy flames."

Vally giggled. "That not because of copying!" She clapped her hands as the cage slid down. "Got you Dora!"

Madrid hadn't considered the flames were not linked to her powers. "Then what…did you give me a new power?"

"No." Vally stated. "I didn't do anything, mama."

"Vally, don't lie."

"I didn't!" Vally exclaimed, glaring at her.

Madrid mimicked her look.

^&^&^&^

"You want what?"

Carter leaned forward, Nathan having led them to the dining room to chat. "The blood of Adam Monroe. I know Vic Daniels gave it to you, so please, do not deny it."

Nathan frowned. "If Vic told you that, then you also know we can never allow it out…he would agree with me."

"My father is dead." Sarah stated coldly. "I speak for him now. That blood was his property, and I am his heir."

Nathan shook his head. "I…I am sorry your father is gone. But I will not break the promise I made to him."

Carter frowned. "Even if the fate of the world depends on it?"

Nathan scoffed. "When have you cared about the world?"

Carter's eyes flashed silver. "I remember more and more why I hate you."

Nathan laughed bitterly. "And if you think that will work on me this time…" He shook his head. "You are my son…I love you…"

"I am not your son…and that statement isn't what you think it is."

"…but I will not allow you to guilt me anymore. I allowed you to corrupt your sister, to make her into a killer like you…I won't let you run around anymore because of my guilt." He stood up. "I see you again Carter, and it isn't to turn yourself in…I'm going to take you out."

Carter smirked. "Ditto, old man.

^&^&^&^

Madrid was the first to speak. "Ok Vally…lets assume you didn't do this to me…" Her fingers wiggled as the red fire danced about. "Who did?"

"Gabe." Vally answered.

Madrid frowned. "Vally, don't blame others."

"But he did, mama! Gabe gave you fire!"

"Vally, Gabriel did not give me fire."

"Yes he did!" Vally protested.

"How? Gabriel moves things with his mind."

Vally suddenly giggled. "Not that Gabe!" Before Madrid could ask what she meant, the toddler bounded over to her, pulling up Madrid's shirt. "That Gabe!" She pressed her hand against her mother's tummy.

Madrid's eyes widened when her stomach began to glow purple.

Words from months ago echoed in her head, a man from the future with her husband's face speaking.

'_Gabriel Hector Daniels, The Sword of God, Lord of the Purple Flame, your first born son…'_

Madrid's hands trembled as she placed her hands on her glowing stomach, realizing for the first time that in all the confusion…she was late….very late.

"See, Gabe! He's strong mama, real strong!" Vally exclaimed, turning to a shocked Tina and Claire. "That's Gabe! He's my baby brother! He's special too!" Vally's own body glowed pink. "You gave mama fire, didn't you Gabe?"

Madrid's stomach pulsed with light.

BANG

Vally frowned, staring at Madrid's flat belly. "Mama fainted, Gabe! What did you do?"

^&^&^&^

"That went well." Sarah muttered as they left the Petrelli estate.

Carter sighed. "I've been doing this wrong, Sarah…I've approached this like I would in my world, as the Metatron. But that won't work. Here I have to play by their rules…I need to think like Azreal."

"And what does Azreal think?" Sarah questioned.

Carter grit his teeth. "We're attacking their stronghold."

^&^&^&^

(Los Angles-Night)

Gabriel looked around the dark alley, nervous. He knew the Amazons wouldn't be around this area at this time, but he didn't want to risk it.

"And you are sure this is where the blood is?"

"Positive." Gabriel stated.

"…why betray your son?"

Gabriel frowned. "He isn't my son…he hasn't been my son for a long time."

Peter Petrelli shrugged. "Hey, whatever lets you sleep."

^&^&^&^

Author's Note: Yup, Madrid is finally pregnant with her and Carter's first born son, the matter absorbing Gabriel Daniels. For those wondering, the reason why Madrid has the flames is that Gabriel has his own fire. Future Gabriel stated that he was never amped by Vally, that he was born superstrong, fast and with healing, because of Carter and Madrid being like that. Thus, baby Gabriel is the first hero to demonstrate powers while in the womb. Madrid, sharing a connection with her unborn child, has now gained the whammy flames of Carter and his children. Right now, baby Gabriel is maybe a month or two in the womb, Madrid almost ready to begin showing. He technically doesn't hear Vally and isn't responding to her…Vally's power merely causes his own power to flare up.

As for why Madrid has red fire…just a believe that everyone has a color that represents them. Carter is Silver, Madrid and Red…and Red and Silver make Pink, thus Vally.


	80. Once Upon a Time In Texas

Madrid knew there were plenty of women in the world that would want their husbands on their knees before them. Madrid would have enjoyed this too…if her husband's focus wasn't on someone else.

But she couldn't blame him.

"Hi there, baby." Carter whispered, pressing his check to Madrid's stomach. "I'm your daddy." He smiled, a flaming hand pressed to her tummy, her skin flashing purple. "And I want you to know, I love you very much. And I am going to make sure you and your mommy and your sister are safe."

Madrid placed her hands on his head. "What are you doing?"

Carter smiled. "Sending my love to our child."

"I want to talk to the baby!" Vally exclaimed, tugging on her father's hand. "Hi Gabe!" Vally called out. "It's Vally, your sister! You better hurry up and get big, I want to play with you!"

Carter chuckled, scooping Vally into his arms. "And you will, but you have to let the baby get strong enough."

"Gabe's already strong!" Vally stated. "He's like us!"

"Still, we don't want to rush him." Carter stated, flipping Vally onto his shoulders. The little girl giggles as he stood, letting her stare down at her mother. "Now Vally, I have a very, very important job for you."

"What's that, daddy?" Vally asked.

"You know how I am going to get that blood, so we can go home? Well, I need you to do something for me."

Vally grinned. "Sneak around and kick their butts!"

"Close." Carter laughed. "I need you to stay here…" Before Vally could pout, he continued, "…and I need you to protect Gabe."

Madrid frowned. "Uh…how will she protect Gabe HERE?"

"Because you'll be here too." Carter stated. Madrid narrowed her eyes, but he stared right back. "This isn't about me being over protective. This is about the baby…and I do not trust this world or its heroes for a moment. I'm not risking you…if I had an excuse to keep Eden or even Gabriel and his family out of this, I would. Just this once…I need my girls to sit this battle out."

Vally considered this even as Madrid looked ready to argue. "I'll do it!" She wagged her finger at Madrid. "Mama isn't going, or I'll punish her!"

"Is that so?" Madrid said with a dark smile, before grabbing Vally and tickling her without mercy. Her eyes told Carter though that they would be having a long chat when this was over.

^&^&^&^

Gabriel shifted.

Malcolm Grant…a man he knew was Prime Minister of Englad…was staring at him. His head, covered in a fine stubble of hair, was turned towards him, dark eyes taking in his movements. Malcolm wore a long, soft looking walking coat, a pair of heavy Doc Martins cladding his feet, which were kicked up on the table. A far cry from the suits Gabriel had always seen him in when on television.

"What?" he finally asked, turning towards the Brit.

"Did Peter pay you any silver?" Malcolm waved off Gabriel's stare. "I know…I know everything, and don't worry your pretty little head…I've seen why, I've seen how, and I've seen what will be." He held out his hands. "Mortals…and I don't say that simply because I will long outlive you…why do you think you can fool the Lord of Bloody Chaos?"

Gabriel narrowed his eyes. "You don't…"

"Understand?" Malcolm wagged his finger. "I understand more than even you could, boy. So don't get your panties in a bunch, I won't be telling…" he smirked, "I already know the ending to this story."

^&^&^&^

(Nightfall: Odessa Texas- Stronghold of the Justice Union of America)

Carter looked through the binoculars at the large warehouse before him. "Should I be glad that they didn't go for the floating space station?"

Tina snickered. "I'm sure Petrelli is working on that."

Carter nodded, pulling on his Azreal mask (though he was wearing a duplicate of Eden's duster) and looking back at the team he had assembled. Sarah was dressed just as Carter was, the two hoping that it would throw off Nathan and his team. Gabriel was dressed as Sylar, checking over his costume one more time. Malcolm had donned a light weight long coat, a black wool hat and a pair of tinted googles…which had made Elle comment he was wearing is "Bullseye" costume. Tina was wearing what Carter could only assume was the standard Amazon Outfit: Leather pants with bullet proof armor put all along it (dyed white), a sleeveless white shirt, a leather white coat, and a white wig.

Behind them stood several more amazons, each in their own variation of Tina's outfit, each of them checking their weapons.

"So we understand the plan?" Tina asked.

Claire raised her hand. "I don't…kidding!"

"Permission to beat her, my queen?" Charlie asked.

"Denied." Tina stated.

Carter glanced at the group. "Ok…remember our goal here is to get the vial of blood…tr not to kill too many people." The girls all moaned in prosest. "Fine, kill to your hearts content."

The girls squealed in joy.

Carter and Sarah shared a look.

"Alright…Sylar, Eden…you are with me. Amazons, you know to do…Malcolm…" He smirked. "Go play Bullseye."

Malcolm gave him a slight bow before he bgan walking towards the fortress.

^&^&^&^

"Sir…"

Nathan looked over at the tech. "What is it?" He had his mask firmly on, other heroes moving about the room, looking at the monitors.

"We have someone at the main gate…doesn't look like a civilian…but he doesn't look like any villain or hero I've seen."

"Well…he's wearing a black hat…and we are in Texas…" Hana "Wireless" Gietelman stated. "I'll patch into the microphones."

The man's voice filled the room. "Hello, ya yankee arse hole!" The man yelled. "I am looking for a shirt that says "Phresh" and a backwards hat!"

"What the hell?" Nathan muttered.

Knox frowned. "Who's the Colin Ferrel reject?"

Nathan frowned. "Send a couple guards."

Wireless nodded, eyes turning west. "Guards…to the north entrance…"

After a few moments, Nathan and his team watched as the guards slowly approached the man.

"Identify yourself!" One of the guards shouted.

The man bowed low. "I am but a simple farmer."

The other guard frowned. "You don't look like a farmer."

"I'm a special one." Before either guard could react, the man lifted his arms up, shooting each point blank. "I'm a lead farmer, (censored)!" Malcolm tilted his head. "Robert Downey Jr. for the win, bitch."

Nathan slammed his fist down as the Amazons leapt through the gate. "We're under attack!"

On the screen, the techs watched as Malcolm grinned, giving them a wink, before firing a shot at the camera.

^&^&^&^

"Do you feel bad about this?" Sarah asked.

"Feel bad about what?" Carter questioned. He, along with Gabriel and her, had snuck onto the roof, using whammy flames to take out the guards.

Sarah frowned. "Kill innocent men."

"They work for Nathan Petrelli…that doesn't make them that innocent."

Sarah considered this. "I suppose…"

"Besides, I know for a fact mom trained you to kill."

Sarah finally nodded. "Ok, I was just checking."

"Would you two be quiet?" Gabriel asked.

Carter frowned as he crackled his knuckles. "Yes, dad." He slammed his fist down, grunting as he ripped through the steel that covered the top of the Stronghold. "3rd floor, spandex, rolodex, timex and Adam Monroe's blood."

Gabriel glared at him. "I seriously can not wait to get my Carter back."

^&^&^&^

Knox cracked his knuckles, lashing out and sending one of the amazons to the ground. "Come on…you know you want to be scared…you know you want to tremble in fear."

Charlie glared at him, firing a blast of ice, Knox just avoiding the strike. "We Amazons are trained to never feel fear!"

Knox shook his head. "Then someone will just have to teach-"

SNNNIK!

Knox stumbled, clutching at his back where the knife had slid through. Behind him, Malcolm smirked. "And you are one of the bloody heroes, mate?" He kicked Knox in the ass before spinning around, throwing his knife right into one of the guards. "Bloody hell, girls, the heroes are evil, the killer are the ones with moral codes…this is just wrong!"

"Duck!" Tina yelled, Malcolm getting down just as she let loose a hail of gunfire at Snooze, sending him scurrying away.

"Shit, I am too old for this."

^&^&^&^

Carter and Sarah dropped down, looking about the corridor carefully. "Have you ever been here?"

"In my world its called Primatech…not that I can remember." He stated, slowly making his way down the hall. Gabriel followed behind, watching the rear. "But in my life…you can never be too sure."

"Azreal."

Carter turned, glaring at Wireless, who stood to his right, arms crossed. "Goody."

"You can't use your powers on me…" She stated. "I didn't bring any technology with me, and there is none in this hall."

"Is that so?" Carter asked.

"Just this gun…" She said, pointing it at Sarah. "Sylar, if you even twitch I will kill her." Gabriel froze. "Now then…hands in the air."

"Eden, you got this?" Carter asked.

"Yeah." She answered, raising her hands…and firing a whammy blast. Wireless fell, clutching her head as she screamed. Sarah stormed towards the Jewish woman, grabbing her by the throat. "The trophy room…"

"Down…down the hall…" Wireless whimpered.

"Thanks." Sarah said, throwing her down. "Come on."

^&^&^&^

"Well, this is going as planned." Tina said as she kicked Knox in the balls.

Claire grinned. "Why didn't we do this before?"

"Who knows…but maybe now we will get so respect from the men!" Charlie cried out.

Malcolm, however, was shaking his head. "Girls, I would get a move on…we don't want to be around here in the next minute."

"Why is that?" Another Amazon asked.

Malcolm sighed. "Because things are going to plan…just not how you think."

^&^&^&^

Carter grunted as he and Sarah ripped the large, bank-safe door from the wall. Both panted as Gabriel strolled through, whistling.

"You two are good."

Carter panted. "Thanks."

Sarah leaned against the wall. "Find the blood?"

Gabriel browsed the shelves. "Lets see…Thunder Head's helmet…bone sword of El Skeleto…"

"You're joking, right?" Carter muttered.

"The cape of Grand Master Morpho…"

Carter looked at Sarah. "The best thing you'll ever do is come with me and leave this insanity. My insanity is much cooler."

"So you say." She stated.

"Got it!" Gabriel called out, holding up the vial.

Sarah smiled under her hood. "Good…lets go." She turned…

…and ran smack into Peter Petrelli.

"Thank you so much, Gabriel." Peter said as gunmen from the Human's First Group aimed their weapons at the three. "Couldn't have done it without you."

Gabriel narrowed his eyes as he handed Peter the vial. "We had a deal."

"Of course…I said I would not harm you…" He turned.

BANG BANG BANG

Carter, Sarah and Gabriel fell to the ground, the men firing on them."

" But I never said THEY wouldn't."

^&^&^&^

Author's Note: Carter has been to Primatech once: In Volume 0, a young Carter is taken there after being rescued, along with Claire, from Drago, and the Haitian erases his memory of the event.

Thank you to everyone that has been reviewing! I am glad you are enjoying, and I hope to continue to entertain, even as I have other projects bubbling around in my brain (Like tonight, where I just plotted out what I would do for a Pixar/Dreamworks animated movie)


	81. Shadowboxing

Carter groaned as he slowly opened his eyes, watching the retreating forms of the Humans' First group as they left the vault, the vial of blood in their possession. He sat up, watching as the bullets began to pop out of his body like bloody champagne corks. Beside him, Sarah let out a moan as one particular nasty wound began to heal itself, her heart beating once more. Nearby, Gabriel rolled over, finally releasing the telekinesis that had kept the bullets from striking him.

"That hurt." Sarah whimpered.

Carter nodded. "Forgot to tell you about that…super healing, but you feel it all." He rolled his neck. "Talk to me when you snap your neck and need someone to pull it back into position."

Gabriel closed his eyes. "They got the blood."

"No, its pretty much everywhere." Carter muttered.

"I meant Adam Monroe's blood."

Carter rotated his shoulders. "Yes, they did…" He pressed his hand to Sarah's shoulder, helping push the final bullet out. He pulled out his cellphone and hit the speeddial. "Amazons, this is Azreal. The Human's First Group has attacked us…retreat…I repeat, retreat…and if you see any other heroes…get them the hell out of there too."

^&^&^&^

Peter Petrelli marched out of the main building, flanked by guards, watching te empty courtyard warily. When they had made their approach, they had known that the Amazons were doing battle with the Silver Streak's team. Now, however, everything was deserted, giving the area a quiet…eerie feel.

"Sir." One of the guards stated. "I'm getting thermal ripples…there are supers here…should we engage?"

Peter shook his head. "Negative…lets just get this blood to Suresh…the quicker we get this done, the better."

^&^&^&^

"How did it go?" Elle asked as the group entered the house.

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Peachy." She aid bitterly.

Vally ran up to them, hugging her father's leg, before looking him over. "Ew, daddy is all sticky!"

"Yes, that's because daddy was shot, over and over." Carter stated.

Vally scrunched her nose up. "Why did you get shoot?"

Carter turned to Gabriel. "Ask Grandpa Gabe." All eyes turned to the man in question. "Him and Peter Petrelli have been talking, apparently."

^&^&^&^

(The Human's First Group, 30 miles east of Vegas)

Ando stepped out of the van, looking at the assorted vehicles gathered around the spot he had directed them too. There was little to show that this was a gravesite…nothing more than dirt lay there, and a few well placed rocks.

"Why did you mark the grave?" Mohinder asked, stepping out of the vehicle, a shovel in his hand.

Ando smirked. "Those stones there…the pink ones…Hiro hated the color pink. And the kanji on them, they mean "asshole", or the closest we have to that term in Japan. Just another 'screw you' to the boss."

"Mohinder!" Chandra called out. "We have work to do!"

Mohinder trotted over, taking his shovel to the dried sand, while Ando glanced over at one of the vans. There, seated in the shadows, was his prize: Hiro's sister, Kimko. He had made it clear to Chandra that he desired his boss' sister, and that having her for himself would be the only way to get him to speak.

There she now sat, no doubt fearing the delicious tortures Ando would inflict on her.

"You are a sick man, Ando." Peter stated, standing next to him.

"Yes, I know." Ando replied. Before Peter could say more, several of Chandra's men let out cheers. The crowd parted, revealing the decomposed corpse of Hiro Nakamura being lifted from the shallow grave. "And there is the boss."

"Yes, just as you said." Chandra answered. "You have lived up to your part of the trade…now I finish it." He snapped his fingers, and Ando turned, grinning as the van door opened.

He stopped grinning as Kimiko's corpse, riddled with old bullet wounds, fell to the ground.

"What...what is the meaning of this?" Ando screamed.

"You said you wanted her…you never said alive." Chandra nodded to Peter, who with one swift move shot Ando in the chest. "And I only offered you protection until we had Hiro…that protection is now gone." Ando's eyes went cloudy as he fell to the desert floor. "Now then, Peter, the vial?"

Peter nodded, handing the vial of blood over to Chandra. "All yours."

"Thank you." Chandra stated, walking to the rotting body and taking out a needle. "To think, in mere moments, I will use the strongest of them all to wipe out every super that ever lived." Pressing the plunger, Chandra and his men watched the blood flow into the gray/blue skin.

Seconds ticked by.

Then minutes.

"Why is it not working?" Mohinder whispered.

Peter shrugged. "Maybe because I gave you the wrong vial?" The men turned, reaching for their guns…

…only to find themselves frozen in place.

"You honestly think I didn't see myself ending up where Ando is? I made myself a better deal. Azreal!"

Carter leapt from the darkness, daggers flashing in the headlights as he struck down 2 guards. Gabriel, Sarah, Malcolm, Tina, Audrey and Claire all rushed forward, guns and blades and fire burning all those in their path. Peter backed away, only to bump into Vally, the little girl grinning at him.

"Nuh uh." She said darkly. "No run away!" Before Peter could laugh, the four-year old picked up a heavy stone and cracked it like it was an egg.

Chandra stared at Carter as he stepped closer, trembling in fear. Carter ripped off his mask, Sarah did the same, grabbing Mohinder's head. "Who…who are you?" He whispered.

"We are the children of the couple you slaughtered." Carter said coldly before he unleashed his whammy flames. The two let the Suresh family scream for just a few minutes before they slammed their hands together, crushing Mohinder and Chandra's skulls in.

Sarah glared at their bodies. "Enjoy hell, asshole."

Carter turned toward Peter, smiling slightly. "Well done, Peter."

Peter shrugged. "Gabriel said I have powers in your world…that's all I ever wanted." He handed Carter the vial of blood. "Besides, I knew you'd honor your word."

Carter nodded.

Peter jerked as the dagger thrust through his back, hitting his heart.

Gabriel leaned in close. "We're not heroes…remember…to outsiders…our words are worthless." He let Peter fall, sheathing the knife. "Went exactly as we planned." He stated.

Carter looked over at Hiro. "I know it was hard for you…doing what I asked…but I thank you, Gabriel, for believing in this plan." He reached over, clasping Gabriel's shoulder. "my other self is lucky to have you as a father…and I will make sure, when the time comes…to tell my son why I named him after you."

Gabriel blinked. "I'm not crying…just something in my eye."

"Sure you aren't." Claire mocked. "Come on…lets wake Hiro up and get our Carter back."

Madrid scoffed. "Don't be so quick to get rid of us, Claire."

"Hey, I just want things to make sense, where Vally loves Dora, and you two sleep with Tina."

"I second that." Tina stated.

Carter glanced at Sarah. "Ready to end this?"

Sarah nodded, eyes dark. "For mom and dad."

The siblings approached the corpse of Hiro Nakamura, Carter taking the vial Peter had given them and inserting the needle inside. After getting his fill, he stabbed Hiro's arm, watching the blood slowly trickle into the rotting flesh.

A minute passed.

The flesh was like new.

Hiro let out a gasp as he sat up, looking at his torn and ragged clothes. "What…"

Carter held up a glowing hand, pressing it to the man's skull. "I've heard of you, Hiro. You tried to rape one of my Amazons…I don't like it when people hurt my girls. The only reason you are alive at all is because I need you…now you are going to do everything I say." The whammy flames struck, causing Hiro to shake. Carter turned to the group. "He's in my control…don't know how long I can hold him, but he will take us. Time to make our goodbyes."

Madrid nodded, hugging Tina tight. "Thank you…for everything."

Tina patted her back. "You don't know what you are missing…give your Tina a ride, you hear me."

Madrid just chuckled.

Malcolm turned to Audrey. "Tell my advisors I'll be back shortly…the me from this world…" His eyes went white for a moment. "And tell them to remind me not to pick that douche McCullen as my supplier of arms for the Queen's Army."

Vally looked up at Gabriel, before hugging him tight. "Bye Grandpa Sylar!"

"Bye Vally."

Elle walked over to Carter, placing her hand on his shoulder. She looked over at Sarah. "Last chance to back out."

Sarah shook her head, visions of her parents dead bodies filling her eyes with tears. "There is no turning back."

Carter held out his free hand, gathering Madrid and Vally to him. Sarah put one arm around his shoulder, another holding Malcolm, who hugged Elle tight. The small group pressed close together, to ensure none would be loss in the journey. "Gabriel…if all goes as planned, your Carter will be back in a few minutes."

"Goodbye Carter…and good luck." The Amazons all saluted their leaders as Carter's hand began to glow brighter.

"Hiro…" The Japanese man groaned. "Take us to the World's Fair, turn of the 20th century…" Hiro closed his eyes, body shaking. "Ok everyone…here comes the hard part."

And with that…they were gone.

^&^&^&^

We Come To It At Last

(We see Carter and his family holding onto Hiro)

The Final Two Chapters of the 2009 Season

(Gabriel watches them disappear)

To Return to Their World, Carter and His Family Will Journey to the Past

(Madrid looked at the World's Fair Ferris Wheel)

To Save a Man From Their Future

(Malcolm rushes towards a wounded Derek)

But as 2010 Arrives, So Will A New Threat

(We see a dark tunnel, lined with skulls)

For Evil Has Grown Stronger

(A figure slinks by as a baby is heard crying)

And Their Greatest Challenge Awaits

November 15th- My Brother's Keeper

November 23rd- Thanksgiving

And in 2010

Elsewhere Returns

(We see the dead body of Issac Mendez in a police morgue. The figure from before slowly places a hand on his head)

And when it does…

(We see Issac's eyes snap open, the painter letting out a horrible bellowing scream)

THE DEAD WILL RISE


	82. My Brother's Keeper

(The World's Fair: The Dawn of the 20th Century)

Had anyone looked between the booths and away from the ferris wheel, they would have witnessed a strange sight. Out of thin air appeared a motley crew: A bald British man, his stunning wife, a Hispanic woman showing way too much skin, cradling a toddler wearing full pink, a brother and sister in matching leather dusters, and a seemingly drugged out Japanese guy.

"We at the right time?" Carter asked.

Malcolm's eyes went white as he focused. "Chaos lines say we are 2 minutes from the arrival."

"Ok…so what do we need to do?" Sarah asked.

"We need to get to Derek and Marie." Malcolm stated. "Madrid, I think you can heal him if we get him to you…you'll need to regrow his heart. Vally, we need you to amp his healing factor. Between the two of you, you should be able to get him all better." Malcolm turned to Sarah. "We need you to watch Hiro…keep whammy blasting him and he should remain down for the count."

Sarah gave him a curt nod.

"Carter…"

Carter's eyes glowed silver. "I finish what Marie and I started."

"What will you be doing, Malcolm?" Ellie asked.

Malcolm frowned. "I need to make sure that our worlds divide correctly…the chaos lines are telling me just how to do that…a few seemingly random events, and we get our alternate selves out of our heads." He smiled at Ellie. "Stick with Sarah, she'll protect you."

Winds began to pick up.

"I need to get going…" Malcolm called out, "…we have to get this right. Carter…bring the rain."

"Huh?"

Malcolm shrugged. "Just…always wanted to say that." He took off in a dead run as purple lightning began to spark around them.

"Eden, you got a grip on Hiro?"

"Yeah." Sarah stated.

Carter grinned as he ignited his body, then went into his ascended Metatron form. "Good…here they come!"

The sky above them crackled, a tear in the fabric of space and time appearing above them as Marie and Derek made their grand appearance. While before, in the merged timeline, the two had fallen to Earth and died, now they found themselves greeted by Carter, who wrapped on hand around Marie's throat as he threw Derek into the waiting arms of Madrid.

"Lets chat." Carter snapped, as he rocketed into the night sky.

^&^&^&^

"What's wrong?"

The little girl looked at the strange man, her tears momentarily forgotten as she took a step away from him, frightened. His shaved head was covered with a knit hat, his dark eyes like black diamonds.

"N…nothing?"

The man's smile, however, was kind. "It's alright." He said, kneeling down, his british accent sounding funny. She giggled, despite herself. "What's got ya all said, little bit?"

The girl sniffed, laughter forgotten as she remembered what had brought her to tears. "The butterfly."

She pointed to the tall corner of a booth, where a butterfly had become ensnared in a spider's web. The spider in the web was a hideous black thing, big and digusting.

"Mama said we couldn't help her…that the butterfly was going to die."

The man shook his head. "No offense, little bit…but you mum is wrong." Moving away from her, he reached up with his bare hand and gently pulled the butterfly, and part of the web, away from the booth. As he did so, the spider darted forward, biting him on the hand. "Bloody h-" he paused. "-heck." He amended.

"Did it hurt?" The little girl asked.

Malcolm nodded. "But it was worth it." He pulled away a bit of the web, and the butterfly fluttered away. "See, little bit…butterfly is free…not doomed."

"But you got hurt." The little girl pointed out.

"It was worth it though…" He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Sometimes, in this world, you have to let yourself get hurt…to save someone else." He stood up, brushing his pants clean of dirt. "Now…go find your mum and tell her to good news."

The little girl toddled off, and Malcolm shook his head in amusement.

^&^&^&^

"You think you can beat me?" Marie snarled as she and Carter hurdled through the air.

"In a heart beat. I beat you down once, and now…you are so below my attention."

Marie fired all her manipulating powers into Carter's skull. "I am going to kill you…I am going to make you scream and cry." Her breathing become more labored. "I will make you beg…beg for death…you…" She panted. "You…"

"Hard…to breath?" Carter managed to get out. "Thin atmosphere…thin air…and soon…none. I can heal, bitch…can you?" Madrid shivered, ice forming in her hair as they rushed through a cloud of moisture. "That is the blood freezing in your veins you are feeling. Hurts…doesn't it." He grimaced his skin began to lose its glow. "This…is for trying…to hurt…my…family…" Carter's skin went normal as his heart stopped beating, his blood coming to a standstill as his lungs took in their last breath. Marie had died moments earlier, still grasped in his death grip. Their rise finally came to an end, the two hovering a bit, before than began to fall once more.

Carter's eyes snapped opened moments later as his body began to superheat, his skin on fire in a whole new way. He let out a scream as he felt himself ignite, the ice shattering as it gave away to terrible heat of reentry.

Holding out his hand, Carter fired off a whammy blast, using his personal fire to slow his descent. His blackened skin began to heal as he controlled his fall, getting it to a manageable speed.

He almost sobbed with relief when he felt his body collide with someone else.

"Had to be the hero, huh?" Derek muttered, holding out his hand and creating a tear. They fell through, finding themselves on the ground, a new hole dumping them feet away from the rest of his group. Derek set Carter down, looking at Marie's mangled form. "Well…I'd say it was tragic, but I'd be lying." He looked at the assembled group. "Do I even want to know what happened?"

Ellie shrugged. "You went boom, altered the world, we jumped into your vortex."

Derek held up a hand. "I'm caught up. You guys remained dominate in the merged universe, and now I need to split things…" He paused, grinning as she saw Sarah. "Sarah…good to see you…guess I need to make sure you come with us." He focused, the air around him shimmering. "Ok kids…lets get started."

Before any of them could react, A new vortex opened, taking them in.

^&^&^&^

When Carter opened his eyes, he found himself…staring at himself.

"Get the hell up." The other Carter stated. "God…am I really such a lightweight?"

"Azreal." Carter grunted.

Other Carter smirked. "The Metatron."

Other Madrid smirked, wrapping an arm around her husband's waist. "Leave the poor boy alone…he can't help it if he comes from a universe of cream puffs."

Madrid glared at her other self. "I can rip a car in two…want to try me?"

"Enough!" Derek called out. The group of now 12 all looked at him, finally noticing where they were. They were all…hovering…in a world of purple lightning…a tempest tat raged around them silently. "We only have a few minutes…don't you all maybe want to share some information…ask about your lives and the differences?"

Vally floated to her doppelganger. "You like Dora?"

Other Vally frowned. "You _don't_ like Dora?"

The two stared at each other before turning to their respective fathers.

"Daddy, this Vally is crazy!" The both shouted.

"Yes…yes she is." The Carters stated as one.

"This is freaky." The Madrids said together.

Malcolm and Other Malcolm shook their heads.

"Bloody idiots." Malcolm whispered.

"So uncivilized." Other Malcolm said with a rich upper class accent.

The Ellies just rolled their eyes.

Sarah turned to Derek. "Ok, we are done here."

Derek nodded, opening a vortex. "This one will take you to your dimension. From what I can tell, Malcolm has made sure everything is as we left it…"

"I did kill Peter Petrelli, though. And the Human's First Group." Carter called out.

Other Carter gave him a mocking salute. "Then I guess you weren't so useless afterall."

Carter gave his other self the finger as he entered the vortex. "I hate myself…and that will lead to years of therapy."

Derek clapped Carter on the shoulder. "For all of us…for all of us."

^&^&^&^

(Marie's Stronghold...Carter Daniel's Universe)

The group groaned, heads throbbing as they slowly awoke. They could hear cheering, people moving about them…and then suddenly found themselves being lifted up.

"Carter?" Lee asked, helping Carter to his feet.

"Lee?" Carter whispered, before giving the artist a hug. "LEE!"

"CARTER…CAN'T…BREATH!" Lee gasped. Carter let him go, turning to see Madrid giving Tina and Kelly a giant hug, while Hank was peppered with kisses from Vally as se squealed about "Uncle Hank!".

"What the hell is going on?" Biddy asked, waddling over to them. "Derek…"

Derek waved his hand. "Don't worry mom…everything is ok now."

"Mom?" Hank asked, confused.

"I'll explain later, Hank." Biddy said.

"Ugh…" Sarah moaned, the last of the group to awaken. "That hurt…"

"Sarah!" Kelly called out, to Carter and Madrid's shock. Kelly pulled away from the hug and ran to the newcomer in the universe, helping her up. "Are you ok?"

"Huh?" Sarah muttered, confused.

"Damn Carter..." Lee muttered, "looks like your sis got a nice shiner."

Carter stared at Lee, picking up the Kenzei blade had dropped both second and days ago. "You know her?"

"Uh…yeah." Lee stated. "Sarah Daniels…your older sister…"

"Former Company agent." Ashleigh rattled off.

"As whammy flames like yours." Hank added.

"The Harbringer…the Word of God." Tina chimed in.

Kelly frowned from where she was helping Sarah stand. "The question is…do you know her?" She crinkled her nose. "Did you change your clothes?"

Carter shook his head in amazement, running this fingers through his hair. "Yeah…I do…but…how…"

"Carter?"

Carter turned, body shaking at the sight before him. The members of The Alliance had parted revealing…

Revealing…

"Mom…dad?" Carter whispered, their deaths still burned in his brain.

"Mommy….daddy…" Sarah whispered. She took a step forward, unsure of herself.

"Sarah…what's wrong sweetheart?" Vic asked.

Sarah's eyes pooled with tears. "You…you know me?"

Helena stared at her. "Of course we know you, sweetheart…what…"

Vic and Helena found themselves on the ground, their adult children superspeeding to them, knocking them down with bear hugs and sobbing with relief. Vally soon joined them, Madrid laughing as her daughter struggled to find a good spot, finally settling for hugging her father's head.

Ellie looked at Malcolm, the two standing off to the side. "You did this…didn't you? You changed history."

"Worked for us…I made it work for her. Changed things…so that our Eden, the one that died, was taken over by a living one. It was simple, really." Malcolm stated. "At the fair, I rescued a butterfly. A little girl saw it, and she never forgot that lesson. Where once she had allowed her heart to become cold to the pains of the world…she now saw hope. She would teach her children the same lessons, and one, her 2nd born son, would remember them. When he got a report from a teacher of a little girl being abused by her mother, he did not ignore it like he would have in the first timeline. He came to her rescue, placed her in an orphanage ran by his sister, not a group of cruel nuns like before." Malcolm smirked. "And a year later, he would bring that little girl the greatest gift of all…her baby brother, Carter."

"Malcolm…" Ellie whispered.

"Helena would see the two of them, and adopt them. Sarah and Carter Daniels would live their lives, unknowing of their grand destinies…until an encounter with the company by Carter and Sarah's near death at the hands of Sylar would draw the two together. They would die…be reborn…and become the Voice and the Word of God."

"Malcolm…"

He smiled weakly. "They will forget the past…they will remember soon the world as I have made it. You will too, Ellie. Only I will live with the burden…such is the price of all those that play God." He paused, watching as Sarah and Carter hugged their mother tight, brother and sister smiling for the first time in tandem. "But if that is the price I must pay…so be it. They deserve it, Ellie…the two of them…they deserve it for all the pain…all the suffering." He looked up at the sky, surrounded by victory and laughter, fo families united, lovers embracing, and warriors at long last not living in fear. "The world will grow dark again…we will face dangers more terrifying than any of us can imagine…but for the first time since I got these powers…I feel something new."

"What's that?" Ellie asked.

"Hope."

^&^&^&^

The End of Volume 5

^&^&^&^

Volume 5.5

In Darkness Dwells

^&^&^&^

(The Past…4 months before Genesis)

Dr. Fredrick Frauzen rushed past the police cars, ignoring the calls for him to stop. One police officer tried to grab ahold of him, but he didn't let that stop him, shrugging off his suit jacket. His brown hair, normally slicked back and styled, was a mess, is eyes wide with panic as he made his way up the driveway to his families estate.

He heard the police whispering things…about family reunions…of horrible scenes…of a man called…Sylar…

Fredrick froze as he stared at the burning rubble that had been his family home.

His scream ripped through the night as he saw the burned remains of his family being removed.

^&^&^&^

(The Present…Thanksgiving Day)

5 am

Carter rubbed his eyes, stumbling into the kitchen. He wasn't surprised to see Biddy seated at the table, along with the new man in her life.

Who would have guessed that Hank could be replaced by someone short, chubby and bald.

"Biddy…Derek." He mumbled.

Biddy smiled tiredly at Carter, baby Derek Carter Daniels sucking greedily at his bottle. "Goodmorning."

"Is it morning…I can't tell." Carter stated, groggy as hell. He sat down at the table, resting his head against the wood.

"You ok?"

"Peachy." He whimpered. "Madrid kicked me out of the bed…literally."

"Thought I heard a wall break." Biddy quipped.

Carter groaned. "I think I still have a foot shaped bruise on my side." He buried his head in his arms. "God…I will be glad when the baby is born."

"Then you just got your wish."

Carter turned to see Madrid standing in the doorway, her large, 9 months pregnant stomach hanging out, her chest only clad in a sports bra, her hair wild and unkempt. Her pajama bottoms were soaked.

"My water just broke."

Carter's eyes went wide.

"Don't panic." Biddy warned.

"MAYDAY!" Carter screamed, superspeeding through the house, waking everyone up.

"He freaked." Biddy stated.

"Gabe's coming!" Vally squealed, superspeeding into the room, then out once more to join her father in awakening everyone.

"You think?" Madrid muttered.

^&^&^&^

(The Future…)

Ami looked over at her husband. "Did you hear that?"

Patrick shook his head. He and his wife could not be any different. Ami was barely 5 foot 1, Japanese American, a lithe and lean slip of a woman. Patrick was a hulking, 6 foot muscle bound Irishman.

"Can you go check on the baby?" Ami whispered.

Patrick mumbled but did as she asked, knowing only pain would come if he said no. He stumbled out of their room, making his way towards the nursery.

He never noticed the shadow of the man watching him from down the hall.

^&^&^&^

To Be Continued…

^&^&^&^

And now the exclusive trailer for Elsewhere, Volume 5.5

(We see a dark tunnel)

In 2010…the darkness will come

(We hear screams coming from the tunnel)

But the secrets to what lie down this path can be found throughout time

(We see Fredrick in a morgue, staring at the bodies)

In the Past

(We see Carter holding Madrid's hand as she screams, doctors moving about)

In the Present

(We see Ami and Patrick looking at a crib, a shadowy figure watching them)

And In the Future

(We cut back to the tunnel)

For the next three weeks, follow the clues, and discover the truth

(Another scream is heard, and a ghoulish figure leaps into frame)

Elsewhere

Volume 5.5

In Darkness Dwells


	83. Thanksgiving

Volume 5.5.

"IN DARKNESS DWELLS"

(The Future…)

Ami looked over at her husband. "Did you hear that?"

Patrick shook his head. He and his wife could not be any different. Ami was barely 5 foot 1, Japanese American, a lithe and lean slip of a woman. Patrick was a hulking, 6' 4" muscle bound Irishman.

"Can you go check on the baby?" Ami whispered.

Patrick mumbled but did as she asked, knowing only pain would come if he said no. He stumbled out of their room, making his way towards the nursery.

He never noticed the shadow of the man watching him from down the hall.

Opening the door, he could not help but smile at the room that lay before him. When Ami had first become pregnant, he had assumed that she would want to avoid all the trappings of a traditional baby's room, especially one for a little girl. Ami Hiroshi was not what one would consider to be a traditional woman. She had risen through the ranks of the Company, proving herself quite capably at tracking down and tagging supers. A skilled marksman and able to beat most men when it came to a footrace, she was more comfortable in trainers and sweats than dresses and pearls.

But to his surprise, Ami had wanted pink, pink and more pink, resulting in the candy coated dream that lay before him. As Patrick moved his massive frame through the room, he couldn't help the smile the formed on his lips as her stared down at his little girl.

A bundle of wiggly fluff gazed up at him, little fingers reaching up, and tangling themselves in his beard. He let out a soft laugh as Sophie tugged harder, trying to draw him closer. The 4 month old looked so much like her mother, but it was clear she was his; She was quite large for her age, and he just knew she would be a giant when she grew up.

"Awake, huh?" Patrick whispered, easing a meaty hand under his daughter's back and rising her up. The little girl looked up at her father, dark almond eyes locking with his before she let out a yawn. "Well, not for long. Come on, lets go show mama that you are fine.

Heading out of the room, Patrick thought about how much his life had changed these last few months. Sent with Ami on a long rang assignment here in Rome, the two of them had come no closer to find their target. Reports had come in of a mysterious man in a black outfit, which had been stitched together in such a way to appear both home made and professionally done at the same time. The figure had been on The Company's radar for months now, reports having him appear at the scenes of Sylar's murders, just before the bodies of the victims disappeared. Zach Taylor, Dale Simmons, to name two, were Sylar victims to later disappear, the mysterious figure sighted a sort time before or after.

But then, Ami hiding her 3 month pregnant belly, the two of them had gotten the call. The mysterious figure had moved into Europe, their domain, and the two had begun stalking him. At first, they had believed him possibly to be connected to Carter Daniels. But Noah Bennet had stated, after having a 2 hour long argument with the Company's second most wanted super, that Carter had no clue about the figure and would allow the Company to investigate in "his backyard".

Thus, the stalkout, the waiting, the sending out of reports…the waiting for further orders has their investigation turned up nothing…until it had all gone wrong. The news had come from Bennet: the Company was destroyed, the founders save for Angela dead, the agents cut loose. Primatech was gone, the Alaskan Base destroyed by Carter Daniels in his escape, Terrance Harper and the Elite Guard disappearing, and Securitech compromised with Helena Daniels joining her son and helping him engage in the hostile takeover that saw many Company assets now belong to Morbius INC.

Ami and Patrick had discussed their options…everything from returning to help Nathan Petrelli's new government funded operation (voted against by a nervous Patrick, who had heard that people like him were being locked up without question) to approached Carter and his group (voted against when Ami learned Carter was battling a civil war of sorts with other members of his new Alliance).

Finally, Patrick had suggested they merely retire. He come from money, his Uncle the lord or duke or something he couldn't remember, thus giving him wealthy and a title the burly Irishman had no need for. Thus, they had settled into a quiet life in Rome, enjoying the fact they were able to be with their darling daughter every moment of the day, if they so wished.

Patrick bounced the baby in his arms. "Now then…lets check to see if you are all clean…" He sniffed the air, only to freeze. Patrick's power made him like a bloodhound, able to track scents. He could smell drying blood a mile away if he knew the scent, and track down any object just by getting a good whiff.

But other than his daughter's clean diaper, another scent filled his home…a scent he knew too well.

Death.

Racing back to the bedroom, Sophie cradled against his chest, he skidded to a halt at the sight before him.

There was his wife, eyes wide, fingers clawing at the dark clothed arm that was now wrapped around her throat. Just over her shoulder, the black mask of the man in black they had been stalking loomed.

"You." Patrick whispered, the baby fussing in his arms, as if sensing her mother's distress. "Let her…"

"You are in no position to give commands." The dark clothed man stated calmly. His voice was a strange one…it sounded as if he were of Chinese decent, trying to mimic the cultured tones of one from Martha's Vineyard. "You have a simple choice in this matter…back away, or I will kill her."

"What do you want?"

"Set the baby on the bed." The man said coldly.

Ami struggled to shake her head no.

"No." Patrick stated, just as coldly. "Never."

"No harm will come to the baby…set her down…or I will kill her."

Patrick took a step towards the dresser. "No…you won't."

"I will kill her."

"No…you can't. If you wanted Sophie, you would have taken her while we slept. Instead, you made a noise…awoke us…" He took another step, Sophie letting out a quiet sob. "You can't kill her…you want them both."

With that, his hand went for his sock drawer, ripping his handgun from it. He raised it up, firing right at the man's head.

The man in black's head reared back…before he snapped it back, dragging a struggling woman towards the window.

CRASH

Patrick rushed towards the window frame, staring out into the night as the man in black leapt into the sewers.

^&^&^&^

(The Present…Thanksgiving Day)

5 am

Carter rubbed his eyes, stumbling into the kitchen. He wasn't surprised to see Biddy seated at the table, along with the new man in her life.

Who would have guessed that Hank could be replaced by someone short, chubby and bald.

"Biddy…Derek." He mumbled.

Biddy smiled tiredly at Carter, baby Derek Carter Daniels sucking greedily at his bottle. "Good morning."

"Is it morning…I can't tell." Carter stated, groggy as hell. He sat down at the table, resting his head against the wood.

"You ok?"

"Peachy." He whimpered. "Madrid kicked me out of the bed…literally."

"Thought I heard a wall break." Biddy quipped.

Carter groaned. "I think I still have a foot shaped bruise on my side." He buried his head in his arms. "God…I will be glad when the baby is born."

"Then you just got your wish."

Carter turned to see Madrid standing in the doorway, her large, 9 months pregnant stomach hanging out, her chest only clad in a sports bra, her hair wild and unkempt. Her pajama bottoms were soaked.

"My water just broke."

Carter's eyes went wide.

"Don't panic." Biddy warned.

"MAYDAY!" Carter screamed, superspeeding through the house, waking everyone up.

"He freaked." Biddy stated.

"Gabe's coming!" Vally squealed, super-speeding into the room, then out once more to join her father in awakening everyone.

"You think?" Madrid muttered.

Malcolm groaned, stumbling into the room, looking at everyone. "Why the hell is he freaking out? Even without my powers, we all know Gabriel will be born, will be happy and healthy, if not a bit too snarky, and will grow up to become the Sword of God, the Lord of the Bloody Purple Flame."

Biddy chuckled as she gave Derek a pat. "Even though I know Derek's future, that doesn't mean I worry about him." She paused. "But you know that, don't you?"

Malcolm shrugged. "Just grumpy, love." He moved to the cupboard. "Madrid, love, maybe you want to sit down, I will brew some coffee…"

"No time!" Carter shouted, racing back into the kitchen. Madrid blinked as, in one moment she found herself seated in one of the limos Morbius INC demanded their CEO and his entourage take to work.

In several fiery blurs, Madrid found herself seated next to Biddy, Derek in her arms, then the rest began to appear in the limo: Hank, Sarah, Kelly, Tina, Charlie and Renee, Malcolm, Ellie, Lee, Ashleigh, Vic and Helena.

"What the hell?" Linda Fray exclaimed as she was dumped in the limo. "Why are we all in are pjs…" She covered her eyes. "Except for Kelly and Tina."

The two women blushed, covering themselves.

"CARTER!"

Carter appeared. "Oh, sorry." He sped away, reappearing with shirts and sweatpants. "There we go…time to go!"

The group felt the limo shift.

Hank stood up, moving to the sunroof. Popping his head out, he stared in shock as he found that Carter was CARRYING the limo, superspeeding towards the hospital, Vally sitting on top of the limo's roof, flashing her flames and making ambulance siren sounds.

"He lost it!" He called to the occupants.

^&^&^&^

(The Past…4 months before Genesis)

Dr. Fredrick Frauzen rushed past the police cars, ignoring the calls for him to stop. One police officer tried to grab ahold of him, but he didn't let that stop him, shrugging off his suit jacket. His brown hair, normally slicked back and styled, was a mess, is eyes wide with panic as he made his way up the driveway to his families estate.

He heard the police whispering things…about family reunions…of horrible scenes…of a man called…Sylar…

Fredrick froze as he stared at the burning rubble that had been his family home.

His scream ripped through the night as he saw the burned remains of his family being removed.

^&^&^&^

"Who is Sylar?"

Audrey Hanson stared at him. "Who is Sylar?"

"Don't mimic me, and don't lie." Fredrick said, his tone crisp and sharp, hiding the utter defeat he felt in his soul. "I am a trained psychologist, with several focuses including body language, mental defenses, and manipulations. And right now, all three say you know more than you are telling me. So, stop lying and tell me about who Sylar is!"

Audrey looked away from him for several moments, before finally returning his gaze. "We don't know much about him…only the murmurs of a witness that survived long enough to tell us his name. He is a killer that can…do things we don't understand how to explain."

Fredrick closed his eyes. "My family…each and every one of them…were murdered by a serial killer?"

"…yes."

Fredrick lowered his head. "I want to see the bodies."

Audrey was silent.

"I said I want to see them…is that a crime?"

"The bodies…your family was caught in the fire…those that Sylar didn't attack. Your family estate crumbled…"

"I want to see them…my mother, my father, my brothers and sisters…"

"They're done." Audrey said. "Reduced to ash and bone shards."

Fredrick shook his head. "I…I saw them pull a body out…"

"Your sister-in-law, Tess. Her body was the only one to remain in one piece."

"I want to see her, now!" The psychologist demanded.

Audrey shook her head. "That isn't possible. Though your brother was married to her…you are not family. Her parents have been contacted, and they will be arriving…"

Fredrick caught her by surprise, grabbing her shirt and slamming her head against the metal table in the medicinal examiner's waiting room. "I worked as a prison psychologist for a time…I know how to defend myself." He slammed her head once more and stormed off, leaving Audrey dazed.

^&^&^&^

Dr. Frauzen was not a religious man. He felt that religion was merely the human mind's way of coping with death and the cruel world, no different than a child creating an imaginary friend.

But that did not mean that he was a cold person, able to face death any easier than one that believed. Some would say it made him more ill prepared.

Thus, he was not surprised to find his hands shaking as he pulled the sheet away from Tess' face, staring at his sister-in-law. The gash on her head looked horrifying, and her skin was cut and scratched all over. And yet…she looked so peaceful, as if she were sleeping…

Fredrick fell to his knees, sobbing.

"I am so sorry, Tess…I am so sorry." He whispered. "Why…why did this happen?" He whispered to the darkness.

He lowered his head, tear falling freely, Tess' fingers running through his hair, the cold floor hurting his-

Fredrick's eyes went wide.

He leapt away, pushing himself farther and father until he his another cold metal examining table.

He watched, body trembling…as Tess' corpse slowly sat up, her pale bluish-white face showing confusion as she wrapped the sheet around her naked form. She looked at him with blank eyes, and Fredrick wondered if he was going mad.

"Tess?" He whispered.

She trembled, but for a moment, and though her body remained cold and lifeless, her smile, the one only she could wear, appeared.

"Fredrick…what's wrong?"

Fredrick leaned back. "I…I thought you were dead…"

"Tess" laughed. "Fredrick…Fredrick…Fredrick…you were right on both counts." She walked towards him, kneeling before him. "You are going crazy…but you are not hallucinating…" She leaned towards his ear, and he could see her skull and muscle peaking out form the slash on her forehead. "And I am still dead."


	84. The Fifth Phase

Author's Note: Elsewhere will have one final chapter before the winter break, entitled "Upon this Rock"

^&^&^&^

(The Past)

Fredrick kicked Tess away, scrambling away as the corpse of his sister-in-law stared at him, confusion clear in her eyes.

"Fredrick…" Tess asked, taking a step towards him. "Why are you acting so irrationally?"

"Irrational?" He said, nearly manic. "Irrational? You…are…dead."

"And you are going crazy…that is no reason to be rude." She said, taking a step closer. "You have suffered greatly…"

"STAY BACK!" He roared.

And to his shock, she did.

Not because she wanted to.

But because the other corpses within the morgue had rose up as one and restrained her.

He stared at them, their lifeless eyes watching him, waiting for his next command. He gave a slight wave of his hand, and the dead bodies slowly backed away, giving him space.

"I…I don't understand…" He took a step back, almost tripping before a cold hand caught him, helping him stand. "How is this…"

"Use that wonderful brain of yours, Fredrick." Tess said simply. "You already know the answer."

Fredrick took several breaths, considering the situation. "Ocram's Razor…the simplest answer is always correct. Start there, start there…" Fredrick began to pace. "You are real…I felt this…" He waved at the corpse that had helped him up, "…thing's hand on my arm." He rubbed his forehead. "They do what I say…why…why would they do this…" He looked up. "Dance."

To his amazement, Tess and the corpses began to do the 'Thriller' dance.

"You do what I command…" He looked at his hands, considering all of this carefully, the implications mindblowing. "No…more than that…" He looked at the dancing dead. "Stop." But while they did stop, instead they began to play patty cake. "You do as I think…why is that…" His brain abuzz with theories, he moved towards one of the corpses, a 17 year old girl, the victim of a hit and run. "Who are you?"

The teen looked at him. "Who…am I?" She asked.

"You don't know who you are…but you do, Tess." He rubbed his chin, the corpses releasing his sister-in-law. "Why…why would you know that? What makes you so special? Is it because you know me? That doesn't make sense. And why would you know what I can do…and know that I know…" He looked up. "Unless you're Tess…only because I wish you to be." He ran his fingers through his hair. "But there is more…isn't there…you said I was crazy…" he began to go through all his knowledge, all his training. "When someone goes through a traumatic event, it is common for them to find ways to cope. Some block it, some develop mental disorders…" He whipped around, pointing a finger at Tess. "Dissociative identity disorder."

Tess clapped her hands slowly. "Got it in one, Fredrick."

Fredrick shook his head, chuckling weakly. "I've…gone crazy. My family was murdered…I somehow can resurrect the dead…so I have developed multiple alter egos in order to cope." He licked his lips voice growing a bit more manic. "But…but to keep myself from going truly crazy, to allow myself to function, my dominate self, Fredrick Frauzen…Fredrick Frauzen, Fredrick Frauzen…" His entire body twitched. "I…have made it so that these personas are based upon those that I have lost…and now…I have placed one of those personas in you."

Tess bridged the space between them. "A family is but one organism, Fredrick. Different facets of one grand being. Is it any wonder your brain is doing the same thing?"

He shook his head. "No…no this is not good, not good at all…" He rubbed his temples. "By creating you, I freed myself for but a moment. But when the other personas begin to arrive, I'll suffer…I've treated patients like this, and it is a horrible, horrible thing…"

Tess turned his face towards her cold, dead eyes. "Then make more of us?"

"How?" Fredrick asked. "The rest of the family is dead."

Tess smiled. "Who said we needed their bodies in order to bring them back?"

^&^&^&^

(The Future)

Patrick whispered softly to Sophie as he made his way along the street. He knew this was probably a mistake, taking the baby into the sewers, but he had to risk it. Here, atleast, she would be with him, under his protection. It would keep is mind better at ease than leaving her somewhere for the man in black to find her.

So, this was how he found himself running through the sewers in rain boots and his pajamas, a black baby sling holding his tiny daughter close to his chest. While he was freezing his butt off, the baby was toasty warm, Patrick remembering to bundle her up before he left the apartment.

He cocked his guns as he slowly made his way through the sewer, taking a sniff. Through the hidous stenches that hung all around him, he could detect Ami's scent, clear as day, as well as the man in black's.

He was getting closer.

The advantage was on his side, for the moment. The man in black was fighting against a struggling Ami, and from his own experience of getting the scrapper to go to one of Bob Bishop's meetings, she could go as limp as any toddler, then kick up a fuss.

Sure enough, round a bend, he could hear her scream and hissing, the man in black grunting as he struggled to drag her along. Peaking around a corner, he watched as Ami scratched the man's face, only to cower away in horror, staring at her fingernails with dread.

Patrick readied his gun, waiting for the right shot…

"Waaaa Waaa Waaa!"

He stared down at Sophie as she let out a cry of protest, wanting attention.

And she got it.

The man in black turned his head toward Patrick.

"Shit." Patrick muttered before diving behind the wall as the man pulled out a knife and threw it at him. He heard a thud, and Ami came racing towards him, blood leaking from the wound on her cheek.

"RUN!" She shouted, grabbing his hand and dragging him away from the fight. Behind them, the two could hear the man and black storming ever faster towards them, not burdened down in unyielding clothing or fears for the howling infant.

The man in black was close enough to touch their shoulders when a blast of wind struck their faces. Ami and Patrick staggered for a moment, turning in time to watch another person fly…literally…into the man in black, sending him into a wall.

"Come on!" A voice called out, Patrick and Ami giving each a look before diving into the side tunnel. The flying man was on their heels, hovering over the foul water. "We need to go."

Patrick looked down at the speaker, amused. "We've been saved by a kid."

"The name is Rebel." Micah Sanders' said sternly. "And if you want to live, you'll follow me."

^&^&^&^

(The Present)

Helena shook her head in disgust as she paced the hospital floor. Vic sat nearby, watching with mild amusement, Sarah busy reading a magazine.

Carter had taken them to a hospital filled with Alliance paid doctors. They were use to dealing with powers, and Carter knew that there was a very good chance powers would come to play this time…especially if Gabriel was as strong as Vally claimed him to be.

"Claire…what do you mean you aren't coming?!?" Helena practically screamed.

On the other end of the line, Carter's half sister Claire Bennet let out a weak laugh. "I kinda made other plans?"

"What plans?"

"…I'm joining the carnival?"

If Helena had teleporting powers, she would have been at Claire's side to beat her upside the head in an instant.

"I want to make sure I have this straight…your brother is about to welcome his first born son, your nephew, into this world. He wants you to be here, to share in this moment…he sent a limo to your dorm to pick you up and take you to the airport, along with any number of guests who want to see Paris before their vacation is up…and you aren't coming….because you want to hang out with Carnies?!?"

Claire became defensive. "Listen…I understand this is important, but I am trying to figure some things out…"

"And that's just as important?" Helena challenge. "Yes, I guess it would be…if this weren't the 12th time you had done something stupid like this!!!"

"So suddenly all my decisions are stupid?"

"Only 90%." Helena said glibly.

Claire grit her teeth. "You are not my mother…you don't get the right to lecture me."

"But I am Carter's mother, so that gives me the right to inform you of this: you're cut off."

"What?" Claire asked, startled.

"You really think Noah is the only one helping you go to college…paying for everything? Carter has had a hand in that, Claire…he didn't get to finish college, and he doesn't want the same for you. Your brother has given a lot to you…done more than you'll ever know to help you…and this is how you repay him?" Helena's tone was cold as an artic morning. "You are cut off. I will cancel your credit cards, stop paying for your books and for your dorm…all that free spending money Carter was giving you…its now gone."

"You can't…"

"Claire, as far as I am concerned, you are a spoiled little brat that never learned to grow up and deal with real life. All you do is find ways to avoid responsibility for your actions. Well, Noah may bail you out, but my son will not. He will be so busy with my grandson he won't know for months you aren't receiving payments." She smiled. "Happy Thanksgiving."

Sarah turned a page in her magazine. "And that is why I hate her, mom…why Carter needs her when I am the only half sister he needs…I will never know."

^&^&^&^

Red flames danced in all around them.

Madrid let out a cry as she fell against the bed, panting. Her eyes glowed like rubies as the flames faded once more. Carter grunted with relief as he extracted his now shattered right hand, watching it heal.

"Almost there, Mrs. Daniels…" The doctor said nervously.

Madrid nodded. "You better hope so…"

^&^&^&^

"Vally, what are you doing?" Lee asked, walking up to the toddler.

Vally was standing on a chair, looking through the glass of the maternity ward, watching the newborns in their cribs. "I'm justa talkin' to the babies."

"Oh." Lee said, standing next to her.

"Listen up!" Vally stated, tapping on the glass. "You all think you are cute and special now, but my baby brother is coming! And Gabe is the bestest baby ever, and you better get in line!"

One baby blinked.

"I saw that!" Vally shouted.

^&^&^&^

"One more push!" The doctor cried out, Madrid screaming, her hair matted to her head, sweat pouring down her face. She gripped the bedframe, the metal groaning as she twisted it like butter. Carter watched on, eyes widening.

A new, tiny cry, filled the room.

"Congratuations, Mr. Daniels…you have a healthy baby boy." Carter was at the doctor's side in an instant, helping cut the cord before he followed the nurse who was cleaning the squirming newborn.

"Carter…say something!" Madrid called out, tired beyond belief.

"….We have a son." Carter said in utter awe. "We have a son." He turned, the bundle in his arms, the nurse having to help him towards the bed, his vision so clouded with tears.

Madrid held out her arms, accepting Gabriel from her husband. The baby's eyes were shut, his wispy dark hair covering his already tanned skin. She sniffed, letting out a happy laugh as Carter kissed her forehead.

"Hi there baby…" She whispered, Gabriel taking in tiny breaths. "Welcome to the world."


	85. Upon This Rock

(The Present)

"Look at him…" Kelly said, running her fingers along Gabriel's cheek. The infant's face twitched slightly at the soft caress, but otherwise he did not react in the slightest. "My God Carter…he's beautiful."

"My son is not beautiful…he is handsome." Carter stated, watching as his friends and family all mulled about the room. Madrid lay in bed, eyes half closed, a pleased smile on her lips as she let the joy and happiness swirl all about her.

"Bays can be beautiful, little brother." Sarah teased. "You were beautiful."

"I was ruggedly good looking, even as a baby." He proclaimed.

Vic rolled his eyes. "Sure son, sure."

Vally leaned over the bassinet, a gentle hand brushing some of the child's hair aside. "He's so tiny…" She whispered.

Hank nodded. "But he'll get big soon…just look at Derek." Biddy rocked her son back and forth, the other baby in the family murmuring slightly.

Vally's face lit up. "Yeah, and soon it will be just like future me showed us! There will be me, and Gabe, and my Derek…" She frowned, considering something. "Wait…I marry a Derek…and Uncle Hank's baby is a Derek…" She turned to her father. "That's gonna be confusing, having two Dereks!"

"Yes…yes it will be. We will have to give them nicknames." When Vally turned away, Carter mouthed. "No one say anything."

Helena turned towards her son, placing a gentle hand upon his arm, the other upon Madrid's shoulder. "Carter…I am so happy for you." Tears formed in her eyes as she spoke. "All your life, I dreamed of this for you…a wife that loves you, children that you will nurture and grow, true friends that will stand by your side in darkness and in light…" She smiled as she sniffed. "This…is exactly how I dreamed it." In his crib, Gabriel let out a tiny sneeze.

FOOOOOOOM!

Vally turned to her parents. "The baby's on fi-re."

All turned, staring at the purple flames that erupted from the bassinet. Carter slowly walked over, lifting Gabriel up. Glowing golden eyes stared out of the purple flames as Carter rocked the child back and forth until the whammy flames faded away.

"Ok…almost how I dreamed it." Helena admitted.

^&^&^&^

Later that night, Madrid found herself alone in the room, save for the newborn that currently fed from the tiny bottle she held. She stared out the window, holding the baby so he could stare out into the night…even though she knew he logically couldn't comprehend anything an inch from his face.

In the courtyard below, under the stars, the rest of their friends and family sat around the fountain, cups of coffee and hot coco in their hands, their stomachs full from the hastily brought over Thanksgiving meal. Vally sat in Sarah's lap, her teddy bear in hands as she watched the skies. Helena and Vic were curled up together, looking more like newlyweds than grandparents. Biddy hummed softly as Hank brushed her hair, staring down at the sleepy baby in her lap. Linda, Charlie and Renee chatted to themselves, while Tina regaled Kelly about which superbabies could lose a fight to baby Gabriel. Lee and his mother sat back to back, craning their necks.

"Here he goes again." Malcolm called out, Ellie's head upon his stomach.

Up in the sky, the clouds were suddenly burst apart by brilliant silver light. Flares raced across the skyline, the stars fading away in the face of the grand fires that erupted about the heavens.

At the center of it all, Carter Daniels laughed, falling back to Earth, body glowing in his ascended form as he let loose his own version of fireworks. He would land in some random field before rocketing back up again, whammy flames leaving a trail before he would explode, lighting up the sky before firing off his blasts again and again.

All around Europe that night, police were startled to find that crime had gone to zero. Fights ended, arguments grew quiet, and for those brief moments, a joyous peace settled upon the countries that witnessed Carter's display.

Madrid smiled down at Gabriel. "Your daddy is silly, isn't he?" Gabriel merely blinked. "he wants the entire world to remember your birthday, to remember how happy you made him."

Gabriel let out a grunt before his eyes glowed purple, mimicking the flashes his father made in the sky.

^&^&^&^

(The Past)

'Today, in entertainment news, the world mourns the lost of martial artist expert Lee Gon. Lee died during a freak accident while filming pick ups for the film "The Last Master". Reports are sketchy at this point…'

Fredrick reached over, clicking the television off. He glanced over at Tess, who had wrapped her head in a scarf to hid the non-healing head wound that adorned her forehead, and motioned for her to continue on.

The two walked through the morgue with purpose, shoes squeaking slightly as they turned right. Up ahead, two victims of a drive-by shooting already stood, eyes glassy and dull as they held the doors open for them.

The two of them strolled through the cold, metallic room, looking more like a couple shopping for Christmas presents than grave robbers. The corpses of all those within moved about, offering Fredrick anything he desired, from a white lab coat to a bottle of water. Tess followed after him, as if he were the lead of "The Devil Wore Prada", clipboard in hand.

"Read the guest list." Fredrick stated.

Tess nodded, stopping before the corpse of a badly burned man. "Lee Gon. Martial artists, considered one of the world's greatest masters. Thought by some to be the next Bruce Lee. Died this afternoon after a gas line exploded, sending shrapnel into his body and burning his face.

Fredrick nodded, focusing on the corpse. With a twitch, the karate master sat up, stare at him. Awaiting orders.

"Your name is not Lee Gon, but you remember every skill he ever had. His muscle memory will remain, but forget all else that lied with him." The corpse nodded. "You will hold the memories of my brother, Tylar Frauzen. A carpenter and craftsman, loving and caring, and loyal to family beyond all else." Fredrick snapped his fingers, and one of the dead bodies brought him a small dagger. "Show me."

The body of Lee Gon nodded, leaping forward and slashing three of the dead bodies, cutting their throats. Fredrick flicked his wrist, and the corpses all gave pause.

"You are Lee Gon and Tyler, reborn my second in commander." He turned on his heel. "Come Tess…come Lyger."

Tess followed silently…and Lyger walked after them a moment later.

^&^&^&^

(The Future)

Patrick and Ami stared at the sight before them. When Micah and West, along with several other members of Micah's Rebellion, had joined them, they had been told that they were being taken someplace safe.

But they had never guessed it would be here.

"This…this is the Castle of Angels!" Ami hissed.

Micah nodded. "West likes to claim its because some cult use to worship here, but that is just form the Dan Brown novel."

"Hey, it was a good book!" West complained.

"How are you able to pull this off?" Patrick said, juggling Sophie into a more comfortable position.

"They manage because we allow it." A new voice called out. An old man, 70 years old, possibly older, made his way towards them. He was dressed in the garments of a cardinal, and he greeted each of them with handshakes. "Cardinal Francis Othealeo. I am the one tasked with caring for this castle, and I act as the Vatican liaisons with Rebel."

Patrick frowned. "Kid…you are friends with the Vatican?"

Micah smiled. "I have friends in high places, Patrick."

Ami shook her head. "I don't understand…"

"There is much to explain, but the hour is late, and all of us need our rest. I will be brief." The cardinal held out his hands. "The Church has long known of those with abilities, Patrick. We have watched over them, protected them, and in times used them. These abilities are proof of the Lord's hand crafting and shaping our world…and the Devil trying to mimic his grand scheme. The Vatican has long aided those that fight on the side of justice, providing service from the shadows. But now…we can no longer do so in secret.

"The man that attacked you works for an enemy of ours, a monster of days long gone. He possesses dark powers, and seeks out to bring an end to all God has created; not just this church, but all that worship Our Lord in any shape or form. We have monitored the man in black's actions, and had been preparing counter measures…but this attack, tonight, forces us forward." The cardinal shook his head. "To dare such an attack at our backdoor is a message of strength and danger, and we will answer in kind."

"Who is this man?" Ami asked.

"Drago." The cardinal whispered. "He is named Drago."

West laid a hand on Patrick and Ami's shoulders. "Don't worry…I don't know why this man and Drago want you or your baby, but we won't let them harm you."

The cardinal clicked his tongue, however. "I am afraid the time has come when we can no longer protect them."

Micah turned around. "But Francis…"

The cardinal held up his hand. "I do not mean we will cast them aside. I mean we will need more allies. Already, I have asked two of your members to find the last remains of The Company, to bring them here. But Micah, I need you to find the final one…the only man that can have any hope of defeating Drago." The cardinal locked eyes with Micah, imploring him. "Find the Metatron…find Carter Daniels."

^&^&^&^

"I have failed you, Lord Drago." The man in black stated, his voice like gravel.

"Do not worry yourself." Drago answered back. "All shall work in our favor. The Rebellion and the damned Church will view this as an act of aggression. They will seek out the Metatron, just as I had hoped."

"My brother still wished for the girl…she was to be our new sister."

"Patience, Lyger." Drago stated. "Soon your brother Fredrick will have his corpses, and the Metatron will be one of us."

^&^&^&^

The Story Continues in January, 2010.

But while you wait…

*We see Eden McCain walking down a hall*

Malcolm Grant changed history

*Eden opens a door*

And with this, save her from death

*Eden turns on a light, staring at the occupant of the cell*

This December…witness the life of Eden McCain…as you never have before

*Sylar pulls Eden through the glass, just as he had done before on the show. Only this time, he frowns*

Sylar: This isn't right…you aren't suppose to be here…*He shakes her* Who are you?

Sarah: My name is Sarah Daniels.

*her eyes glow silver as she lets loose her whammy energy*

Elsewhere

Volume 5.5

In Darkness Dwells: Secret Origins

"The one who affected the most…was remember the least"


	86. Secret Origins

(And now, Elsewhere's final episode of 2009: Secret Origins)

^&^&^&^

"It is a tale all is known by all, and the mere irony of this fact is not lost. For those that mattered the most, more often than not, are the ones remembered the least."

-Mohinder Suresh

^&^&^&^

Sarah Daniels was in a panic.

And she was not one of to panic.

Sarah was the mature one, the responsible, cool headed one. The one in control of her powers…which was good, considering she could manipulate the emotions of others with a flick of her hand.

She had to be, with all the responsibility she had been given, so many times before.

She remembered that day well, when she was just a little girl. The women who ran the orphanage, the kind ones that soothed her fears and helped her learn to speak again after her months of self imposed silence, had brought him to her.

Carter.

She had looked at the squirming baby, listening as the women explained he was her brother, and that like her, he didn't have a family.

And suddenly, the newborn had stopped, and he had looked up at her…and even though he shouldn't have been able too…he smiled.

Sarah had sworn to be the best sister ever after that.

7 years later, she had kept her word, turning down the offers to be adopted to stay with Carter, the little boy who clung to her leg and would stutter if she wasn't around. That's when Helena and Vic had found them, and decided to raise the two as their own.

Sarah and Carter Ellis were now members of the Daniels family.

Things had changed, others stayed the same. Carter still clung to her for dear life, a nervous wreck without her. He didn't see the great man he was becoming…the one Sarah knew would one day surpass her.

Especially if he was special.

When Sarah had graduated college with her degree in law enforcement, she hadn't know what she would do with herself. Being a lawyer wasn't for her, and she sure as hell didn't want to be an office grunt like her father.

And that is when her mother had told her of the Company.

Under the tutelage of Noah Bennet, Sarah had found a release she had never known she craved. Her powers, which she had struggled for so long to control, in secret from her parents and her brother, were now under her full command. She could fight, she could defend herself…she was a hero.

Her first mission had been an easy one: Befriend Mohinder Suresh, and find out everything she could about his research. Her flames had made him trust her, to help her learn all about him, and even when he had appeared to give up, one final blast had let her know he would return.

Her next assignment had been different. Bennet, fearing Sylar was going after Claire (who Sarah had grown to dislike merely from hearing about the spoiled brat) had wanted her to use her manipulations upon Isaac Mendez, to get him to take drugs again and paint the future.

She had spat in his face and refused. She would only later learn from René that Bennet himself had held Isaac down and forced the Heroin into his bloodstream.

Not that it mattered. She, along with René would capture Sylar, her greatest achievement within the Company.

Little did she know at that time…it would be her last.

^&^&^&^

"What do you mean, he is gone?" Sarah shouted.

Helena shook her head, eyes red from crying. "He's just…gone."

Sarah ran her fingers through her short dark hair. "And he…is like me?"

Helena managed a weak nod. "Bennet was keeping tabs on him…I wanted to bring him in like you…but Carter is like you and he isn't at the same time."

"I don't understand."

"He's powerful, Sarah. Carter…he does what you do, but its on a much larger scale. You just begun to have your flames appear…Carter's appeared the moment his powers activated. Your powers are basically mild mind control…Carter put three men in the hospital after he scrambled their brains. And now…he's gone. The Company has put him as a full threat. Sarah…they are going to try and kill him."

Sarah closed her eyes, in deep thought, before she finally stood up.

"Where are you going?"

"To ask the expert on avoiding the Company what to do."

^&^&^&^

Sylar glared at Sarah as she entered his cell. "Well, look who came to gloat."

"I am not here for anything like that, Gabriel." Sarah said coldly. She leaned forward, eyes flashing. "I want to know how you avoiding the Company so long."

Gabriel shook his head. "And give up my secrets? I don't feel like coming up with new ones when I escape here, frankly."

Sarah narrowed her eyes. "I am not asking so we know how to catch you…this is off the record. I want to know how someone can avoid the Company."

Sylar gave her a leering grin. "Mmhmmhmmm…hiding someone, are we?"

"None of your business."

"I think it is…I think it is." He paused, considering his options. "I think I will let you in on my secrets…because if this person is so important, then I want them far away from here…so I can sink my teeth into them." He wiggled a finger, coaxing Sarah to come closer. "There are two reasons I escaped capture for so long. First, a hid in plain sight. No one notices the monster when they stand right in front of them."

"And second?" Sarah asked.

Sylar slammed his hands against the glass, causing Sarah to leap back, panting. He laughed at her, eyes dark with amusement.

"And second…I didn't care who I hurt. If you don't make yourself as vicious as your hunters…then you will always remain the prey." He gave her a jaunty salute as she rushed out the door.

^&^&^&^

That had been weeks ago. She had believed at the time that she and her mother, along with Marshal, would find her brother in time, to convince him to work with them, to free their father.

Now, however, all those hopes seemed so far away.

Her brother's lifeless body lay in the morgue, cold and still. The slight smile that had been upon his features at death still remained, making him appear asleep, even if his lips were blue and his skin ashen white.

He had sacrificed himself to stop himself…his powers out of control, threatening Philly. He had turned them on himself, to stop the destruction at the cost of his own life.

Sarah had been too late. She had gone West, chasing one of her mother's leads, when the news had come. It had been Hank, the man Sarah had once threatened to castrate after he had brought her brother to tears and stammers, who had quietly given her the news over the phone. Helena had told her all, then begged Sarah to meet with her.

Sarah planned no such thing. As much as she wanted to be there for her mother, a part of her blamed the woman for all of this. Sarah had wanted to tell Carter everything the moment her powers manifested, but it was Helena that convinced her to hide it from her father and brother. Now both were taken from her.

Carter was suppose to be hers to protect, and now he lay there, dead and still, his life cut short.

Save for a miracle.

Sarah had gone to the only man that could help her…once already she had made a deal with the devil…once more she had played the game.

She held up the syringe.

Within…was the blood of Adam Monroe.

Taken from him in his holding cell, Sarah had promised him she herself would return to free him if he provided the blood. Adam had given her a strange look, a knowing one, before allowing her to collect the vial.

Now, this was the only thing that held the promise to give her brother back to her.

She readied the syringe for insertion.

"hhhhhhuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu"

Sarah stumbled away, the still full syringe smashing to the ground as her brother rose from the table, air filling his dead lungs. Sarah's eyes widened as hr brother rolled his neck, his skin gaining color and, to her shock, his muscles gaining definition and volume until he appeared to have been working out at a gym for years.

"Sarah." Carter whispered softly, his voice hoarse. "I watched you…"

"Carter…what…how…"

Her brother smiled. "I am Gandalf the White…I died…but I have been sent back, to complete my task." He looked at his right hand, fist exploding in brilliant silver flames. "I have so much to tell you, so much to let you know…" He raised his hand, Sarah's own hand exploding in whammy flames as their palms touched, "but now…we have other things to deal with."

Sarah frowned, confused. "What are you…"

Carter held out his hand. "Grab me some pants, will you? And my jacket…I can't go meet my daughter naked, now can I?"

Sarah blinked. "Wait…daughter?"

Carter smirked. "Sarah…have I got stories to tell you."

^&^&^&^

And now…the exclusive trailer for the return of Elsewhere…

(We see Patrick and Ami being led into the Vatican)

He has fought against the greatest enemies the world has ever known

(From the shadows of the cathedral, Terrance emerges)

But what terrifying new enemy could unite The Alliance, The Company, and The Rebllion

(The old cardinal looks at Micah)

Cardinal: We are under attack from an old enemy…find the Metatron…find Carter Daniels.

(We see a gathering of Carter's family with Terrance the Elite Guard and the Rebellion)

Hank: This is about Drago.

Priest: Drago has since recorded history. Never has he taken the same form…never the same power. His goal to throw down Heaven and rule the world as its new God. And now…he has begun his endgame.

(We see Drago standing next to Fredrick and Joseph)

Helena: We have been receiving reports of families going missing…last seen being dragged into the Paris Catacombs.

(Carter's eyes shine with fear as we cut to a dark tunnel filled with skulls)

Terrance: You fear that place…you fear it more than anything in your life.

(We cut to Carter, Madrid, Sarah, Terrance, Micah, West, Patrick, and several others moving through the tunnels. As they pass a skeleton embedded in the wall, a bony hand reaches out and grabs Carter.)

Helena (over radio): Carter! What's going on?

Carter: We found the Doc!

(We see shots of the group fighting their way past the reanimated dead. We see Sarah battling a resurrected Isaac, Terrance grabbing the throat of Dead Nathan Petrelli, Micah backing away in terror as his own father and mother slowly approach him)

Drago: (voiceover) If God has issues, Carter…it will be with what I am about to do.

(We see Madrid clutching a baby in her arms, one that isn't Gabe, being chased by two corpses. Sarah fires whammy flames and they do nothing. Finally, we see Carter alone in a dark space)

Fredrick: They claim you have been to Heaven. Mr. Daniels. Well then…

(Fire erupts from torches, and we see Carter in a massive ampatheater underground, fire leaping at him, hundreds of dead bodies surrounding him as Fredrick stands next to Drago, who sits on a golden throne)

Fredrick:…welcome the Hell.

(Carter spins around, hands ignited as the dead push closer…)

(Cut to black)

Elsewhere

Volume 5.5.

In Darkness Dwells

Coming this January.


	87. Let It Bleed

Volume 5.5.

In Darkness Dwells

^&^&^&^

"Hold on babies!"

Derek turned his head, letting out a squeak moments before Vally began to push the stroller containing him and a sleepy Gabriel through the main hall. The baby's eyes widened, letting out a squeal of protest, while Gabriel seemed to wake up and let out a happy laugh. Vally grinned herself, applying just a bit of superspeed as she rounded the corner…

Hank's foot stopped the stroller dead.

Vally let out a cry as she flipped over the handles and went flying through the air, over Hank's head and right through a wall into the bathroom.

Tina blinked as Vally fell into the bathtub she was currently seated in, just managing to protect the JLA: Earth 2 graphic novel she was reading as the water splashed all around her.

The almost 5 year old girl's head popped up, covered in bubbles.

"Vally…" Hank called out from the toddler-shapped hole in the wall, a cooing Derek and a squirming Gabriel in his arms.

"…we was just playing?" Vally offered.

"…Hank…I'm still naked." Tina said sternly.

Hank turned around, though Derek and Gabriel were still peaking over his shoulder.

"Boys…" Tina warned, but being infants, the boys merely blinked. Vally giggled.

^&^&^&^

(Japan)

Lyger looked over at the man he had killed.

In any other situation, he would be looking down at a cold, still body, eyes staring back at him like beads of glass.

But this was not any situation.

And Lyger himself was already dead.

The corpse of the cemetery caretaker silently dug into the earth, removing shovelful of soil with each heave.

He did not know why his brother/master commanded him to bring this old man out of his grave and back to the catacombs, but it was not his place to ask, even if he did care to know. Fredrick knew what was best.

All he did know that this man was not to be part of the family. He was to be a servant, nothing more. That was a slight disappointment…so far his brother had been slow to bring about new family members. Only he, Tess, Molly and Nikalus had been brought back. Lyger wished for their mother and father to be reborn, but Fredrick reminded him that they had to choose special bodies for them.

The caretaker let out a groan, and Lyger moved from where he had been meditating. The one thing he disliked about these corpses his brother brought back were they were too much like the zombies one saw in bad horror films. Fredrick would only give speech to those he cared to have it, and even then, he could do little to make this one smarter without being on this side of the globe.

Lyger shoved the caretaker away, Fredrick's power leaving the body and reducing it to a crumpled corpse once more. Lyger lifted the suited body out of the coffin and made his escape.

"Welcome to the team, Mr. Nakamura."

^&^&^&^

Carter drew his blade, narrowing his eyes. "We settle this once and for all, Harbringer."

"Indeed, Metatron." Sarah Daniels said sternly, drawing her own blade.

Their dusters were already kicked away, the two of them circling one another before they rushed forward, weapons clashing together. Whammy flames exploded from their bodies as brother and sister lashed out with all their might. Were anyone else watching, they would have been hardpressed to follow the action. Even without the flames, they were moving at superspeed, their blades growing hot from the air rushing past them. The reinforced floor groaned in protest at each of their leaps and falls, trying to withstand muscle force that was now designed to allow the Daniels siblings to move like Superman.

Finally, with a quick flourish, Carter flipped Sarah's blade away, point it at her throat.

"I win." Carter said coldly. "I get the last piece of cake."

Sarah stomped her foot. "Damn it Carter!"

Carter laughed, going to retrieve her blade. "Fine, we will cut it in half."

Sarah nodded. "After I take a shower…" She sniffed herself, grimacing. "We need to talk to Vally about removing sweat glands."

"No one said all this didn't come with a price." Carter said with a laugh, wrapping an arm around his sister. "Besides, you just don't like Lee seeing you all sweaty."

"Carter!" Sarah shouted, blushing. It was a poorly kept secret that Sarah, after getting over the fact Lee had tried to kill Carter, had become smitten with the artist.

"I for one like getting sweaty, especially if Madrid-"

"If Madrid what?" Madrid asked, walking towards them, Vally slung over her shoulder, the girl pouting.

"I will explain later." Carter said. He looked at Vally. "What did she do now?"

"Made a window for Tina's bathroom."

Carter was about to say something…when he saw Biddy walk by…

"THAT'S OUR CAKE!" Sarah screamed, taking off after a fleeing Biddy."

"I would say this day couldn't get worse, but that would be cliché."

^&^&^&^

"This is where your brother lives?" West asked.

Terrance sighed. "Apparently."

"…wow." Micah whispered.

^&^&^&^

Drago looked over at Fredrick. "It is time, Doctor."

Fredrick nodded, waving his hand lazily, commanding several of his corpse servants to bring him his chosen man. "I do not see why you do not simply allow me to kill this boy."

Drago's arm darted out of is dark robes, a monsterous claw where his right hand should be around Fredrick's neck.

"Abaddon is not to be harmed, do you hear me?" He roared. From under the shadows of his cloak, red fire glowed. "My brother was my savoir, my father and my friend. I will free him from that shell Carter Daniels, one way or another." He released Fredrick. "And you may have any scrapes that remain."

Drago turned away from the doctor and stared down at the cavernous room below them. He had waited for this moment for 10,000 years, and now at last, he would get his family back and he would bring down the Heavens. The only problem was the cruelest of ironies: Abaddon, the destroyer of worlds, had been reborn as Carter Daniels, the Metatron and voice of "God". Drago scoffed.

More than once, he considered abandoning this plan and going after Biathia first. To see his dear little sister, the cunning wicked spitfire that had enslaved entire kingdoms just by opening her legs, reduced to an airhead cheerleader drove him nearly mad. That fact that she was still Abaddon's sister, albeit half sister, in this life was another cruel twist.

But no…Abaddon had to be first. Carter Daniels was a dangerous enemy, one that Drago was loathe to take on. Already the boy had killed his Seven Horns, and every day he allowed Abaddon to stay around Daniels' family, the more entrenched he became.

No. Abaddon came first.

He looked over at Fredrick. The doctor was one he did not want to work with…but he had no choice. Fredrick was also powerful, and should an accident befall the doctor….well, Drago would be ready to claim him.

"Fredrick…" he said at last. "I have something else I want done…an insurance policy." He smirked. "Tell me…do you know the man named Joseph?"

^&^&^&^

"Carter!" Helena called out. "You need to get down here, now!"

Carter glared at Vally. "We will talk about you taking the babies for a joyride later."

"We were just playing!" Vally protested, following after her father like a puppy. Madrid tried hard not to laugh.

Her laughter died when she saw who was in their home.

"Terrance." Carter snapped, going for his sword.

To his credit, Terrance raised his hands. "I mean you no harm, brother."

"We agreed, one night we fought side by side. After that, all bets were off." Carter said, moving to keep his parents, wife and children behind him. Sarah joined him, as did Hank and Tina. Biddy cradled a wiggling Derek, while Gabriel merely yawned. Carter was seriously regretting letting most of his friends head off for their much needed vacations.

Kelly and her parents had gone to Italy, Renee having got it into her head to have Kelly trained by the same "Prince of Thieves" she had learned under. Lee and his mother had gone towards Russia, to claim what remained of Merrick's fortune. Linda had made her way to the United States in hope of finding Micah…wouldn't she be pissed to know he was here. And Malcolm and Ellie had returned to England to settle legal matters before they returned to work for Carter full time.

That left him with a former Company agent, his age defying father, an acid spewer, an invisible man, his superpowered wife and sister, and a litteral human shield.

Following Carter's logic, Madrid handed Gabriel to Biddy, her power enough to shield both infants if needed. She grew several pairs of arms, each one armed with a one of the 4 guns she kept strapped to her at all times.

Micah blinked. "Wow…you don't see that every day."

"Losing my patience." Carter warned, igniting his body, Sarah mimicking him. Vally, refusing to be protected, peaked out from behind Carter's eyes, own body in flames as she stuck her tongue out.

"We need your help." West said at last. "As in world ending, super villain stomping help."

Laughter roared all around them.

Terrance, Micah and West looked on, confused.

Carter calmed down in an instant, flames receeded. "Sorry you made the trip for nothing, Terrance, but you got the wrong man." He turned away, the family moving towards the living room. "We aren't heroes anymore…we retired."

"…wait, what?"

"You heard him!" Vally shouted. "We're re-ti-red." She paused for a moment. "Uncle Hank, what does retired mean?"

"It means we no longer run around attacking supervillians."

"Oh, ok." Vally said, before she realized exactly what that meant. "Wait…wait…not…" Her eyes went wide. "DADDY!" She screamed in a panic, racing after her father.


	88. Close To You

"NO!"

Carter looked down at Vally, who stood between him and living room.

"Excuse me?" He asked, amused.

"You aren't retired! I say no!"

Carter calmly lifted her up, the 4 and a half year old struggling against him. "Sorry princess, but you don't get a vote in this." He sat down on the couch, taking a moment to wiggling his fingers at Gabriel, who just looked at him, lips parted slightly. "Sorry you came here for nothing, Terrence, don't like the door hit you on the way."

Micah took a step forward. "Mr. Daniels…"

"Whatever you have to say, it won't change our minds." Helena stated. "We all voted and agreed."

"We will gladly lend you some Alliance agents, Terrence, if that is what you aquire…" Vic stated.

Carter frowned. "And that all depends on what the problem is."

"The problem is you aren't a hero, daddy!" Vally shouted.

"Vally…" Madrid warned.

"I'll cry!" She stated, eyes wide. "I'll do it!"

Carter leaned down, "That won't change my mind…not this time."

"…Gabe will cry!" Vally said, delighted with her solution. She knew her father hated it when Gabriel cried. "Go on Gabe!"

"Urp." Gabe murmured, spitting up slightly.

"Aw, let me get that baby." Madrid whispered, pulling out a hankie.

Vally glared at her brother. "A good baby would have cried…Baby Sylar." She muttered.

"Vally!" Carter snapped. "Don't call him Baby Sylar!"

"But he's a bad baby!"

Tina shook her head. "But he doesn't cut off people's heads, does he?"

Gabriel merely blinked.

"As cute as this is…" West stated, trying to get the conversation back on track, "We have a major problem."

"And whatever could that be?" Carter said. "What could be a bigger problem than Merrick, or Marie…"

"Do I have a great aunt I don't know aobut?" Hank quipped bitterly.

"None of the above." Terrence stated. "Carter…do you know about Drago?"

^&^&^&^

(London)

"Who is this woman again?" Ellie asked, holding Malcolm's hand tightly. They were making their way through the hallway, heading to a flat neither of them had been too.

"She's my mum's great aunt. Oldest of my entire family. Every child on my mum's side of the family have gone to her after they were married, to receive her blessing."

"Shouldn't you get a blessing before you are married?" Ellie asked.

"It's not like that." Malcolm stated. "It's not like she has to approve. What I mean is that…I don't know, I've never done this before and no one talks about what she says. But all of them make it clear that after talking to her, they feel more secure. Never had a divorce on my mother's side."

They paused at a small wooden door, Malcolm taking a breath before knocking. But the first rap of his knuckles caused the door to swing open, revealing a tiny, homey flat.

And there, seated by the window was Martha Tolisin, Malcolm's great great aunt. She was a frail little thing, thin as a rod and hunched down in her rocking chair, long fingers working on her knitting. She glanced up at them, her large glasses perched on her nose, a slight smile forming on her lips.

"Malcolm…so you and Ellie finally took the plunge." She paused, smiling. "And I see your powers have fully manifested."

Malcolm's eyes widened.

"And…immortality?" She clicked her tongue. "You must truly believe you are destined to be with this girl." She made a motion for them to come in. "It is all well and good, do not worry. You will need your strength, for what is to come."

"For…what is to come?" Ellie whispered.

Martha nodded, smiling. "Why, the darkness, silly girl. The darkness that will try and destroy us all."

^&^&^&^

"Drago." Carter muttered. "Marie's old teacher. She told me about him when I was her prisoner, between bouts of torture." Madrid rubbed his back soothingly. "Heard he was dead."

Helena frowned. "No…Drago can't die." All turned to her. "We didn't know how…but Drago can…body hop." She shook her head sadly. "I never had his case, when I was with the Company, but we thought Drago was old, real old."

"10,000 years." Micah stated. "He's at least 10,000 years old."

"How?" Madrid asked.

"Again, body hopping. "Drago, when his current body dies, can leap into another body of someone recently dead, take it over and make it his. He claims all their powers, all their abilities…he's taken to murdering those with powers so he would have them for himself."

West picked up the story. "Drago, according to what we gathered from the Vatican…"

"The Vatican?" Hank asked. "What do they…"

"The Vatican is Drago's enemy. They know all about us…all about our powers." West said, trying to figure out how to best explain all they had learned. "According to their secret scriptures, when God flooded the Earth, there was one tribe who were chosen besides Noah to live. They were given abilities…abilities that would allow them to survive. This tribe, the Vatican believes, are who we all are descended from…all o us with powers."

"Drago…" Terrence continued, "Was a member of this tribe. He, along with his older brother Abbadon, and his sister Biathia, were the first ever to rebel against God. They became warlords, destroying countless cities, until the three were killed…or so all thought. Drago's power allowed him to leap into a dead body, and he's been doing so ever since. Drago declared war on God and the Earth, and swore that one day he would resurrect Abaddon and Biathia, destroy all religion and God Himself, and make himself Lord of all."

Carter frowned. "I know I call myself the Voice of God…but what does this have to do with me?"

"Drago…we don't know why, has been kidnapping families where one or more parent has a power." Micah stated. He gave Carter folder, inside 10 different pictures of happy families. "Mothers, fathers and the babies…always families with babies." Madrid and Biddy both held their sons just a bit tighter, Vally wiggling off her father's lap to sit between her parents. "He tried it with two former Company agents, Patrick and Ami, but they and their daughter managed to escape. They are still at the Vatican."

"Again…what does this have to do with me?" Carter demanded.

"Drago has been spotted here, in France…we believe he is preparing to gather more children, and that you may be a target." Micah stated.

"We want you to help us flush him out."

Carter shook his head. "I'm not doing anything. This only makes me more sure that I am doing the right thing by staying with my family. I am not going to leave them behind to be abducted while I go running around searching for your boogeyman…"

Terrence didn't hear the rest of what Carter said. Everything, from the people in the room to his own concerns faded away. Only one thing held his focus.

THe red point of light dancing around Vally's chest.

"NO!" Terrence shouted, diving towards the girl, trying to shove her away.

BANG

Vally screamed as the bullet ripped through her.

^&^&^&^

"What darkness?" Malcolm asked.

Martha smiled slightly, still knitting. "Dark times are coming, Malcolm…an ancient evil is coming, and you will be needed…we all will be needed. Your friends and enemies alike think they can battle this threat on their own. They are wrong. It will take each and every one of you, good and evil, to battle this beast." She shook her head. "The final acts of Revelations are upon us."

"The final acts?" Ellie asked.

"The Dragon…and the fiery angel. The endgame has begun, and in the end the fate of the world will be decided by that battle." She looked at the two. "We have much to do."

"How do you know all this?" Malcolm asked.

"Dear silly boy…from who do you think you inherited your power?"

^&^&^&^

"It hurts! It hurts!" Vally screamed, Hank doing his best to stem the gushing blood. Madrid was struggling to get to her daughter, Tina holding her back. The sniper was still firing, and it was only because Biddy was holding Madrid's hand that the Latin woman had not been injured.

Gabriel was screaming his head off, purple flames lashing out and absorbing furniture, bullets and anything else they could touch. West and Micah were helping Hank dig the bullet from Vally's shoulder, while Terrence had his gun out, trying to find their attacker.

Carter's eyes went red.

"Sarah." Carter snarled, his sister looking up from where she was hiding with their mother and father. "Protect them."

"Carter-"

She didn't get another word out as Carter's body began to glow a dark light, the horrid sound of a jet fighter filling their ears as his flames revved up. Crouching, Carter rocketed through the roof, landing outside only long enough to super speed towards the attacker.

"You!" Carter roared, finally seeing the sniper.

The corpse of Bob Bishop held up his hands. "Drago says hello, Carter."

The dam broken.

Carter exploded.

^&^&^&^

Author's Notes: Next chapter will explain how West got to New York to give Peter the power of flight

Also, Martha does have Malcolm's power…but not in the way you think.


	89. PassFail

_This is what its like to be Carter Daniels, right now._

_Since the day he was born, he has had a furnace in his heart. It started out small, a tiny flicker, but it continued to grow, slowly, each day. And around this furnace was a dam, holding back his fire. Then, one day, the flames found a crack, and he gained his powers._

_The Mint was the first time the dam exploded. Carter likes to say that he died because of it, but that isn't the case. He would have survived, if he had let the fires burn out. It would have only destroyed 3/4ths of the city._

_After that, the dam was made larger, to prevent another explosion. Too bad the furnace grew bigger._

_That's what he's never told anyone, never let even his wife and children know about his abilities: Carter will never run out of fire, simply because he does not make the flames._

_Carter says he is the Voice of God. But it is more appropriate to say he is the Voice of Man. All of the collective feelings kind find there way into him. Every bout of hate, every smile, every tear…they all travel to him._

_And every day, he is able to draw more and more to him._

_But right now, the happiness is left floating about his head, and the tears and trembles wait by his coattails._

_Because he is calling all the hate, all the rage to him. All he can see is red, and his flames are tainted black._

_His daughter is shot, maybe dying._

_His house was invaded._

_His family needs him._

_And the one responsible, truly responsible, is not here…only a lackey stands by._

_The dam is cracking, the furnace is burning. It hurts…it hurts him so bad. He can feel his heart giving out, feel the contents of his stomach boiling over and his lungs cooking from the inside. He has the sun scorching his throat, trying to escape._

_Bob Bishop is saying something, but Carter can't hear him…the flames roar louder than any explosion. The skin on his palms is burning away, charred black as muscles curl and bone begins to turn to dust. And even as this happens, his body is healing, an endless cycle of pain and death and rebirth. Cuts and slashes appear on his flesh as his power seeks escape, and he feels his shirt shred as the gashes on his back rip open, forming the bastardized version of his flaming "wings"._

_His sword is back in the chateau, as is his coat, bearing his seal. No matter…Carter Daniels doesn't need a weapon anymore._

_He sees nothing, hears nothing, feels nothing._

_There is only the flames and his pain._

_This is what its like to be Carter Daniels, right now._

^&^&^&^

Helena's hands were trembling, and it had nothing to do with her working on her granddaughter's shoulder.

The group had quickly realized that Vally was in trouble…her wound would not heal, and the toddler, who on a normal day could have slit her throat and been running around in a mere nanosecond, was sobbing in pain. It fell to Helena, the only one with medical training (what little it was) to remove the bullet.

Terrence was busy with Hank and Vic, keeping their weapons sighted through the window, in case any more attackers came. Problem was, they were blinded by Carter's attacks that were outshining the sun.

Micah frowned, closing his eyes. "Mrs. Daniels, let me try." He called out, crawling through the splinters and shatters beams from when Carter had burst through the ceiling, making his was towards Vally.

Sarah stood guard in front of Vally, the only one of them exposed, entire body radiating her own flames as she prepared to attack any that came through.

"Why won't it heal?" Madrid was screaming, Biddy and Tina struggling to calm her and Gabe down. Derek, through some blessing, remained a sleep through all the chaos.

"It's a machine." Micah whispered. "I can hear it."

"What the-" Helena began to ask, only for Micah to place his hand on Vally's shoulder. Focusing, he smiled as Vally's healing powers sprung back to life, forcing the bullet out and healing over the wound.

"See…a machine." Micah said, picking up the very strange bullet. "One designed to block her abilities."

West frowned. "How is that possible?"

"Adriana." Carter snarled as he walked into the room, his clothing in shreds. Already his wounds were healing, but still his body was coated in drying blood. His eyes still glowed red, and occasionally a flicker of black flames would appear around his fingers. "That's her work." Carter threw the severed head of Bob Bishop down at his feet. "Problem is, Malcolm killed her."

Terrence looked at his brother. "That's the thing, Carter…with Drago…people don't say dead…just look at Bob."

They all looked down, noticing for the first time that the head was still moving.

^&^&^&^

(London)

"You…are one of us?"

Martha merely looked at Malcolm and smiled, before returning to her knitting. "That I am, my dear silly nephew. But before you think it, know that my power is both yours and not."

Ellie frowned. "I don't understand."

"And you are not meant too." Martha said calmly. "Just know that looks are deceiving…and as The Light has shown you, even a small package can be the most powerful."

Malcolm frowned. "You said there is a darkness coming…but the chaos lines…"

"I am not surprised you have not seen them. Our enemies are cunning, and have found ways to hide themselves from your sight. But do not fear…you will find other ways to aide in the war. And believe me when I saw, a war is coming." Martha smiled slightly. "The time is coming soon that you will seek another piece to the puzzle…"

Malcolm leaned forward. "War…another piece?"

Martha continued to knit. "The End of Days is coming, and the fate of all rely upon one family. But for that to happen, you must seek the missing pieces." She reached into her knitting bag and pulled out a piece of paper. "There now, this will be all you get from me. Read it, study it, solve its mysteries…and I promise you a happy life."

Malcolm and Ellie looked at each other, making their leave.

"Yes…war is coming…but we still have hope." Martha muttered as she found herself alone. "Glory to the House of Ellis."

^&^&^&^

"And you will all pay for your deeds. My master, Fredrick Frauzen, will wipe you all from the face of the Earth. And with him will come Drago, the beast-man, and he shall consume your souls…"

"Shut that thing up." Vic snapped.

Hank nodded, shoving a rag in Bob Bishop's mouth.

"Drago, this Fredrick guy, and now Adriana. Wonderful." Tina muttered. "Nothing like the villains all teaming up."

West nodded. "That's why we came to you. We hop that you may be able to help us discover just what Fredrick and Drago are after."

Helena frowned. "It remains up to my son."

"Where is Carter?" Micah asked.

"Where he belongs." Sarah stated.

^&^&^&^

Vally smiled as her daddy spun her through the air. Since returning, and blowing off the last of his black fire, he had devoted himself to playing with her all afternoon, moving about like a mother hen to ensure she was ok.

Gabriel lay in his crib, head turned and watching them before he would go back to staring at his stuffed animals.

Madrid was in the rocking chair, just enjoying the sight of her husband and daughter playing.

Carter sighed happily, Vally resting on his chest as he lay on his back. "Vally…I'm sorry you were hurt today."

"its ok, daddy."

"No…its not." Carter said, looking at her. "But do you see now why I want to retire? Isn't this better…me staying with you, being with you and Gabe, just having fun."

Vally looked at him like he had grown three heads. "….noooo!"

Carter glanced at Madrid. "I feel slightly rejected."

"Daddy…you have to be a hero!" Vally proclaimed. "What about the other Vallys?"

"What other Vallys?"

Vally frowned. "The other ones…the normal ones that aren't Supergirl! You have to protect them too!"

Carter stared at her, seeing the toddler's point right away. "You think I need to protect the other little boys and girls in the world, huh?"

"yup!" Vally said with a smile.

Carter stared up at the ceiling in thought.

^&^&^&^

Hours later, Terrence found himself staring out of the guest room's window. West had left earlier that evening, mentioning something about needing to return to New York for a few hours.

"Ahem"

Terrence turned, finding his brother staring at him. Carter's face was unreadable, the darkness making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

"Carter…I am sorry I brought this to your doorstep. I know you blame me for all of this." Carter took a step closer. "And if you want to punch me, to beat me up, I understand. You blame me, and I can't express how sorry I am…"

Terrence braced himself as Carter rushed him…

…and hugged him tight, sobbing against the older man's chest.

"Thank you." Carter whispered. "Thank you for saving my daughter's life." He finally pulled away, keeping his hands on Terrence's shoulders. "For too long we have been at war. For too long our house has been divided. No longer. Your enemy is now mine, brother."

Terrence nodded. "And yours mine."

The two sons of the House of Ellis smiled.

^&^&^&^

Martha looked up from her needle work. "I knew you would be coming, Joseph." The master of sound, the Company's bane, the Voice of Satan, the Herald, stared at the old woman, taking another step into the room, fingers twitching. "But you are too late. I have already sent Malcolm forth. He will find the weapons, and the Once and Future King will rise again."

Joseph glared at the old woman, the 50 year old adjusting his bomber jacket. "Tell me where they are."

"So like your father, always demanding what you don't deserve. It killed him, acting like that."

"You don't get to speak of him." Joseph said coldly, raising his hands. "Now…answer my question…mother."


	90. The Art of Deception

(Martha's London Flat)

"Why have you come here, all blustery and bothersome?" Martha asked.

Joseph stalked around the room, glaring at the old woman, knuckles white from tension. "You know why I have come, why I would ever want to see your face."

Martha merely returned to her knitting. "You want answers."

"Yes. I want to know where the three are, the three the world fears more than me."

"Four, now." Martha said truthfully. "A dear boy named Samuel has moved up on Bennet's list."

Joseph grit his teeth. "Then I will deal with that fool later. But I want to know where the first three are, the ones to surpass me those many months ago. That murderer Sylar, the supposed Voice of God, and the little girl."

Martha shook her head. "Sylar will be dealt with soon enough, as will Samuel. But the Metatron and his child are beyond your reach."

SNAP

The window to Martha's right exploded, glass raining down on the street below. Joseph lowered his hand, face grim.

"I will decided if that is so."

"You can not deny the truth, my boy. If you face the Metatron, he will kill you. He has grown stronger since you last faced him. He will tear you limb from limb, if you are lucky. But it is his daughter you should fear…the Avatar will make you beg for death."

Joseph leaned in close, grabbing her hands. "Enough riddles…where are they?"

Martha merely smiled. "Stupid boy."

It took only a second, but Joseph found himself ripped away, floating in the air for a moment before he was sent crashing into a wall. Martha remained seated, furniture rising up and striking the man. The master of sound tried his best to snap the projectiles, but Martha was simply to quick, and Joseph found himself on the ground.

The old woman flicker her eyes towards him, Joseph grunting as he was pulled like a puppet back into standing position.

"You still believe yourself so powerful…but you forget your place. Do not return here again if you do not want another lesson."

And with that, she threw him out the hole he had made in her wall, his screams fading away.

^&^&^&^

(Daniels Family Chateau)

Carter looked over his sword, making sure there were no nicks or dull spots. "Where is Drago and this Fredrick Frauzen held up, anyway?"

Micah frowned. "Paris."

"I know that, you told me already. I meant, where exactly. I can't see them holding up in some art museum." Carter said with a smirk.

"No…Drago has found the perfect spot to hide, the one place everyone won't look…the Catacombs."

Carter's sword dropped from his hands.

"What…what did you say?"

Terrence frowned. "The Catacombs…"

Carter stood up, eyes wide with fear. "No…no…" he licked his lips. "I'll…I'll get you anyone you want from the Alliance, but I can't come with you, not this time."

"Carter-" Micah began.

Carter hurried out of the room.

"What was that about?" Terrence asked.

Sarah came storming in, hands glowing. "Who did it…who was the moron that didn't think to tell us where Drago was?" She whipped her head around, stalking towards Micah.

"Him him him him him!" Micah said quickly, pointing at Terrence.

Terrence's eyes widened as Sarah wheeled around, her whammy flames raging.

"Remember, Eden…our powers don't affect each oth-"

Terrence went flying as the whammy flames struck him.

"Energy has mass, dumbass." Sarah snarled. She hauled her half brother up, holding him up by his throat. "Now you listen to me, idiot-boy. I haven't interfered the last few times you and Carter had your knock outs and drag outs. Boys need to be boys. But not anymore. I have been there is entire life…I practically raised him in the orphanage since he was a baby. And there is entire house of pissed off women that will castrate you if you ever disturb him again."

"What…what did I do?" Terrence gasped.

Sarah shook her head, throwing Terrence to the couch. "You know nothing of Carter's history, do you? Age 5, the orphanage took us on a fieldtrip to a farm, to see all the piglets and baby chickens and that shit. Carter wandered off, chasing a baby goat. None of us, even the farmer, didn't remember the old graveyard that was just on the outskirts of the forest that surrounded the farm. Carter fell through…ended up trapped in an open grave surrounded by skeletons." Sarah shook her head. "That was the day the stutter started. I had to sleep in the boys' dorm for 3 months to keep him from waking up screaming. And now, you want to send him down into Paris' famous crypt, the tunnels lined with skulls and bones, where people disappear forever, to fight (censored) zombies?!?"

Terrence blinked. "Uh…"

Sarah shook her head in disgust before storming away.

^&^&^&^

(London)

Malcolm frowned, looking over what Martha had given them.

Ellie leaned over his shoulder. "What does it say?"

"Its an address…to some place in the former Soviet Union." Malcolm stated, pulling his jacket closer to him. "Can't determine more until we actually see the place, but it looks like I need to call in a few favors."

^&^&^&^

"Carter?" Sarah asked, knocking on the door.

Carter looked up at her, his hand glowing as he turned back to the mirror. "Could whammy myself all day, would never get rid of that damn fear."

His sister walked over, wrapping her arms around him. "You know, it is ok to be afraid once and a while."

"This is sounding like an after school special." Carter complained. He sighed when she looked at him. "I am the master of fear…I don't get scared."

"Yes, you do. You couldn't be a good father or a good husband if you didn't get scared." Sarah smiled slightly. "Its how you deal with that fear that makes you a hero." She stood up, giving him a slug in the shoulder. "Now then, I have two surprises to help you out down there. First and foremost, I'm coming with you."

"Sarah-"

She shook her head. "We both know you need two people to come with you, baby brother. Tina already volunteered, so I'll be the second." She grinned, hurrying towards the doorway and pulling out a box she had hid back there. "This is something Mom, dad, and Vally helped me create." Carter opened the box, eyes wide. "Every hero needs a costume."

^&^&^&^

Malcolm blew on his hands as, at long last, he and Ellie descended from the plane and set foot once more on solid ground. Malcolm didn't remember the country they were in, it so tiny most maps didn't feature it. All he knew was that somewhere here, according to his Aunt Martha, there was something that would aid Carter in his upcoming battle.

"About time you arrived." A voice called out.

Malcolm turned, smirking, an arm wrapped around Ellie as their partners in this mission walked towards them.

"Lee." Malcolm said with a smile. "Kelly, Prof. Fray."

The three prodical members of Carter's team nodded. "So then…" Kelly said with a grin. "What's the mission."

Hidden behind the plane's wheelwell, Joseph leaned forward, his left arm in a sling "Yes…" he whispered, "what is your mission."

^&^&^&^

"Where's Carter?" Madrid asked as she finished packing her suitcase. Carter and her had decided that, for safety, those not coming on the mission would be moved to a safehouse near the northern Parisian border.

Terrence frowned, adjusting his gear. He wore modified swat gear, lined with pockets full of guns and ammo. Micah and West, who had arrived back from New York early in the morning, were in similar gear, Micah with all their tech equipment and West with weapons and tunnel gear.

"Not sure…he acted like he wasn't coming-"

Terrence's words died in his throat as Carter, Tina and Sarah entered.

All three wore pitch black body armor, modified for their needs. Tina's featured small blast open flaps that would allow her to fire off her acid as needed. Two hand guns and several rounds of ammo hung from her waist like she was a gunslinger.

Sarah wore her modified version of the Ellis family duster, this one cut so it appeared to be a motorcycle jacket with long tails that nearly reached her ankles. The godfire sword, recovered from Marie's stronghold after its destruction, hung at her side.

But it was Carter that gave everyone pause.

His duster hung along his shoulders, treated so that it shown in the light. The kensai katanna hung from his back, and at his side were replicas of the Azreal daggers his alternate self had used in the parallel dimension. He wore a pair of combat boots, a small throwing knife strapped to each. Over his head was a black mask, similar to the one Seth had worn, only this one feature silver eyepieces. And covering his head and his mask was a modified version of Azreal's hood.

Finally, upon his chest, was the sign of Kensai, a sword behind it and silver flames licking at its base.

Carter drew his blade, resting it on his shoulders.

"Behold the Metatron." Madrid whispered, Vally squealing in delight while Gabriel wiggled in his car carrier.

Carter nodded, his left hand bursting into flames. "Now then…who's ready to kick some ass?"

^&^&^&^

Author's Note: Finally, at long last, Carter gets his Metatron costume. Its been a long time coming that our Voice of God gets his battle uniform.

Carter's costume is a mix of several costumes: We have his Azreal costume from last volume, his regular clothing (the duster), Future Vally and Future Gabriel's battlegear, Seth's costume and a bit of Adam Monroe/Kensai's samurai gear thrown in.

This, to me, is the true turning point of Elsewhere. Carter has made a lot of threats and promises, and fought a lot of battles. But this is him finally proclaiming that he is going to be a superhero. Everything he has gone through has led to this moment, and Carter is finally ready to battle a true supervillain. The costume is Carter finally arising as a hero, ready to do what needs to be done to save the world.

And considering what lies in store for him, and the world, he is going to need every advantage he can get.


	91. The Wall

"You stay safe, you hear me." Carter said, holding Madrid's face in his hands. She felt strange, standing like this with him; her dressed in plain clothes, him in his black costume, not an inch of skin to be seen. They were standing outside the chateau, the limo idling beside them. Within Vally and Gabriel were already situated, only with Biddy, Hank, baby Derek, Helena and Vic. Micah, Terrence, West, Tina and Sarah were waiting for him, the first 3 dressed in standard issue kevlar, while Sarah and Tina had customized pieces to aid in their powers. "No matter what, no matter how bad it gets, you 3 have to stay safe."

Madrid smirked. "I say ok, and the first sign of trouble I will be fighting to keep Vally from running off to save you."

"Keep the rugrat at home, you hear me?" Carter asked, stroking her shoulders.

Vally poked her head up through the sunroof. "Bring us back a present, daddy!" She lifted Gabe up, the infant squealing happily.

"Vally, he's going to be taking on zombies..." At Vally's pout, Madrid sighed. "And maybe he can find a giftshop on the way home."

Carter rolled his eyes. "I mean it, ok? Don't come after me it things go bad. Need to know you 3 are ok."

Madrid nodded, before reaching up. With care she rolled his mask up to expose his lips, giving him a tender kiss. "Go get'em, tiger." She quipped.

Carter nodded, pullinghis mask back on. "Don't worry...its just an immortal body snatcher, a mad psychologist and possibly the woman that kidnapped me, along with a horde of undead henchmen...what's the worst that could happen?"

Thunder cracked overhead.

"Huh...not a cloud in the sky." Sarah muttered.

^&^&^&^

Malcolm looked over the blueprints Lee had managed to snag. "Ok, so this is a prison."

"Was a prison." Lee stated calmly. "Built to house Cold War Prisoners, it was decommissioned sometime in 1993. The state owns it, and has pretty much left it to rot."

"I have to break it to you, but those guards up on the towers do not look decommissioned."

Linda nodded. "Somebody has decided to use this place for their own advantage...not surprising, really."

"Your aunt told you nothing else, Malcolm?" Lee asked.

"No...and that's the least of our concerns." His eyes went white. "The chaos lines are in tangles...someone is jamming my ability to read them..." He grunted, fighting against the knots, his nose beginning to bleed. Ellie took out a hankie and pressed it to his face. "Damn." He finally said, coming out of the trance. "I can't get much...only that whatever is in there is important...and it ties directly to all of us, but mostly myself and Carter."

Linda frowned. "So, we need to get in there and get something, something you have no clue about, in order to help Carter." She shook her head. "You know, before that boy was in my class, I use to get something called down time."

"Before he was in your class, you didn't have the choice of immortality either." Kelly said with a smirk. It was an old fight between the two; when Vally had amped Kelly and Hank's powers, she hadn't realized what could happen. Thanks to the eclipse that had given herself, Sarah, Hank, Carter, Madrid and Vally every power in the world (and left all five adults power crazed and ready to destroy the planet for their own profit) Kelly and Hank had found, after all was said and done, that they, like Carter and Madrid, were immortal. They didn't heal like Carter and Madrid did, but they no longer aged.

It had become a debate amoung the group after the final battle with Marie if they should allow Vally to amplify the rest of them. Malcolm and Ellie had made their choice known before the battle, choosing to spend eternity with each other. Biddy had been left no choice, really...her son and husband would live forever, so she allowed Vally to whammy her. Helena had also had no choice...her husband had been imortal to begin with (in fact Vic believed there had been a good chance Carter would have stopped aging anyway, pointing out that Carter's birthfather, Vic's true son, was almost 50 and looked only 40 or so, and would have looked younger if he lost some weight).

But Linda, Tina, Lee, and Ashleigh were still on the fence, Linda the most vocal against the idea. THe professor just didn't know if she could handle forever, while the others didn't know what lay waiting for them. Tina, in Kelly's hopes and dreams, would one day accept, and Lee was a chance, as he and Sarah continued to flirt with one another.

"So, any ideas?" Lee said, wanting to stop another fight.

"We go in guns blazing?" Malcolm offered. THey all stared at him. "I don't bloody well have more powers...don't expect me to have bright ideas."

Kelly sighed. "Looks like the theif in training has to do her job then."

^&^&^&^

"I changed my mind."

It was such an unlikely sight: A black suited superhero, a cross between the Punisher, a cowboy and the Grim Reaper, with a sword on his back and flames on his fingers...being pulled towards a dark opening by his annoyed older sister.

Sarah rolled her eyes under her own mask. "Carter, come on!"

"Codenames, Harbringer." Tina reminded her.

"Yes, Acidic." Sarah said sarcastically. "Metatron, come on!"

"No!" Carter pleaded, sounding like a 2 year old. "I don't want to go!"

"God, you are worse than Vally!" Sarah snapped, forcing him to take a step forward. "What happened to you being all "Let's go kick some ass!"?"

"That was before I saw the cave made of skulls!" Carter whined.

The Paris Catacombs were not a cheery place. Built to house the dead of medivel Paris, the underground tunnels had litterally been built, in places, with the skulls and bones of the dead they were designed to hold. It was a dark, haunted place, now home to homeless squatters, criminals, drug addicts and, if the legends were true, dark, monsterous things. Many had claimed to see phantoms and ghosts, while others reported friends going down and...never returning.

It was a place even the Voice of God was scared to enter.

ANd he wasn't the only one.

"Maybe Metatron is right..." Micah whispered.

"Would you calm down, Rebel?" Terrence snapped. "We will be fine."

"I'm not feeling this either, chief." West said. "Not much room to fly."

"Which is why you are purely here to get the wounded out, Flyboy." Terrence said with frustration. He walked over and smacked Carter upside the head. "You want to be more scared than the toddler?"

"Hey!" Micah shouted.

"Get in the cave!" He gave Carter a shove, the Metatron stumbled before taking a deep breath and entering the dark place. Sarah followed, brother and sister igniting their hands to give them light.

Carter shivered slightly, all the whammy courage he had forced into himself fading as he entered the one place that still gave him nightmares, other than the orphanage.

He would have shivered more...had he noticed one of the skulls inbedded in the wall turn towards them as they passed.

^&^&^&^

"Excuse me?" THe guard turned, only to find Kelly's knife at his throat. She had scaled the guard tower with ease, and snuck on the sentry as if it were nothing. "Now, be a nice man and lay down your wea-"

The guard shifted his neck, slicing open his throat...and a hot blast of oil hit the stone floor.

"-pon." Kelly finished in shock.

The guard grabbed her by the throat, lifting her into the air. She kicked and stuggled, her vision going blurry...

BZZZZZZZZ

The guard fell down, Kelly falling on top of him, as one of Lee's custom Lightning Bugs floated around he head.

"Thank you." Kellytold the formly paper drawing. "Can you hear me Lee?"

"Load and clear." Lee said, his voice coming out of the bug's speaker.

"We have robots...as if this weren't going to be fun enough."

^&^&^&^

On the other side of the prison, Joseph looked at the shattered remains of the guard he had killed...or destroyed.

"Robot, huh...well well well Adriana...you have been a busy bee."

^&^&^&^

They had been traveling for 30 minutes, the dark tunnels causing their footfalls to echo. Carter tilted his head, adjusting his goggles to nightvision. "Something is wrong."

Micah frowned. "I have nothing on the radar...nothing in front of us or behind." He tapped his watch. "We're clear."

Carter turned to Sarah. "Do you feel anything?"

"Nothing."

Terrence nodded. "These corpses don't have emotions, so it isn't a suprise you can't feel them. I can't feel any nerve activity other than from us."

"Exactly." Carter said. "Where are the rats and the bugs?" The others slowly began to look around. "These tunnels should be swarming with them...not a damn one..."He paused, looking about him. "Aw shit..." His hands ignited.

"What...what is it?" West demanded, raising his gun.

"There isn't anyone in front or behind us...because they are in the friggin' walls!"

Carter just managed to get this statement out before the walls on both sides of them exploded, revealing decomposing corpses, their claw-like hands lashing out, trying to grab members of the group and drag them inside.

Sarah and Carter fired their whammy energy, only to find it have no affect. Sarah shot off some acid, but it did little to stop them. Terrence had resorted to using his gun, but all that did was remove chunks of them.

"What do we do?" Micah screamed, struggling to free himself from one of the skeleton's holds

"We go down." Carter snapped, voice tingled with fear. He raised his hands, and with a bellow, slammed them into the floor. The tunnel buckled, and quickly Sarah joined him, two more powerful strikes from them causing the bottom to give out.

And into the darkness they all fell.

^&^&^&^

Author's Note: Alot of you may have heard that Heroes will be having its season finale next week, most likely. I would like to ensure you, while Heroes is ending its season, Elsewhere will be going on...all the way to CHapter 100!

That's right, "In Darkness Dwells" will end with Chapter 100, and I will say only this...I have saved the biggest twist of all for that chapter. The whole STRUCTURE of Elsewhere will change after 100, as we move into the final season (or seasons, as the case may be) of the show and the story.


	92. Brave New World

AUthor's Note: As for the timeline for these chapters, they are occurring about 2-4 days before the season finale of Heroes. Till the season finale (chapter 100), all the events, unless stated, will occur on the same night.

^&^&^&^

"Carter!"

"Carter!"

"Carter, can you hear us!"

"Carter!"

Carter groaned, slowly lifting himself up. His hand feebly reached for his mask, pulling it away from his mouth as he spat blood out. He blinked, picking up the small white piece that had gone with it…a piece of his own skull.

He lifted himself into a sitting position, looking over his clothing. It wasn't messed up too bad, a few minor tears in the fabric that held the Kevlar in place, but for the most part he was fine. Yes…there was a sticky red spot where he had fallen, but otherwise he was fine and dandy.

Rising to his feet, Carter leapt back when he found himself face to face with a corpse, still howling and twisting. But it hung upside-down, body trapped in the rubble. He could hear others, clawing about all around him.

"Carter!"

"Sarah!" Carter shouted, rushing to the debris that blocked the new tunnel he found himself in. "You guys ok?"

"We're fine." Terrence said through Carter's headset. "No need to shout."

Carter pulled his mask down. "Sorry about that." He pressed his hand against the blockage, dust falling on him as he pushed. "No good…I'm going to bring it all down if I force it." He paused, glaring at the still snarling corpse. "Oh shut up!" He took out his sword, hacking the creature's head from its body. "I'll have to go around. Rebel, can you track me?"

"With ease." Micah stated.

Carter nodded, touching his headset. "Metatron to Watchtower, come in Watchtower."

"I hate that name." Helena's voice stated over the speaker.

"Tina got to pick it out." Carter muttered. "Ok, I've been separated from the rest of the team. They are to proceed without me and I will circle around to catch up."

"Is that wise?" Helena asked, her concern clear.

"No choice." Carter stated.

"Did you get us our present yet?" Vally squealed into the mike.

"Vally!" Madrid cried out.

"Uh oh! Run Gabe!" Carter heard a scuffle, Vally giggle, and the mike being dropped. In the background Madrid and Helena were half talking, half yelling. There was a sudden scrapping sound...

"Spweee?" Gabriel cooed, before the sounds of him gumming the mike played in Carter's ears.

"I am facing hordes of the undead and they are playing up there…yup, life is good." Carter paused to kick the corpse's still snapping head. "I said shut up!"

^&^&^&^

Malcolm frowned, rubbing his head. "Damn it…its hurting now just thinking about using my powers." Blood was oozing from his nose and ears, his skin chalk white. Kelly wasn't feeling that well either, though she was doing much better than he was. Linda and Lee had tested their powers and found them fully functioning.

Ellie rubbed his neck. "Maybe you should go back…"

"Gone too far now." He replied with determination. "No chance in hell I'm bloody well turning back."

"Kelly..." Lee asked.

"Don't even ask...hurts to even try and get a position on us."

LInda looked around the corner of the hallway seeing a guard still stand there. "This is just freaky...robots..."

"As if life couldn't get any stranger." Lee commented. He pulled out a sketchpad. "Lets see if I can't come up with something to help us out."

As he drew, Macolm sat down, holding a hankie to his bleeding nose. "Malcolm, you are killing yourself."

"I think i've already died 3 times." Malcolm commented softly. "Only my healing factor keeping me on my toes."

Elle frowned, moving his head to rest on her shoulder. "We don't even know what the hell is here...Malcolm, its not worth it!"

"Aunt Martha said it would help Carter...that's all I need to know." He placed a hand on her cheek. "Carter brought you back to me...I owe him a life debt...and lucky for him, I will never die."

Lee held up his drawing, a few little thin little snakes rising to life and slithering towards the guard. The robotic sentinel never knew what happen, the snakes sinking their fangs into the metal that made his form and liquefying him. "Got that idea from Tina."

Linda nodded. "Come on...lets go. I think we are close"

"Alright, I'll be right..." Malcolm stumbled slightly. Lee moved to support him. "No...we get in trouble, you and Linda are our only heavy hitters...I can make it." He forced himself to continue on, steps shaky, his eyes beginning to become bloodshot.

^&^&^&^

Sarah looked at her half brother as they made their way through the tunnels. "I have a question."

"Yeah?" Terrence asked, looking in mild disgust at some of the mildew that had stained his glove.

"Drago is kidnapping families...and dragging them down here...what happens to them?"

"The parents are killed." West said softly. "And brought back by Frauzen."

"We'll have to face them next."

Tina turned to them. "If they are killing the parents...what are they doing with the babies?" She stopped in her tracks. "You said he only takes families where there is a baby...what happens to-"

Their conversation died as howls filled the tunnels behind them. They all turned as from one sidetunnel a horde of Fredrick's zombies, these ones much more fleshy than the one's from before, stormed towards them, wielding knives, pipes and a few even holding guns.

"RUN!" Terrence shouted, the group speeding down the tunnel as fast as they could. "Separate, its the only way!"

And with that...the team split up again.

^&^&^&^

"Its amazing."

Carter turned, sword drawn, as he watched the figure step out from around a corner of the curving tunnel. His black robes swirled about him as he moved, head covered in a dark cloak.

"It is truly amazing who you meet in these tunnels." The man said. "Hello Abaddon."

Carter frowned under his mask. "You must be Drago."

"I must, I must." Drago stated, approaching him. Carter held his sword, eyes narrowed. "Oh, do you not think we can avoid using our blades..." Drago reached behind his back, pulling out a long and wicked looking broadsword, the edges like a steak knife, "it is just so...obvious, brother vs. brother."

"You are not my brother."

"Ah, but I am, Abaddon...you have simply forgotten. Do you not remember...when you were but a small child, that I kidnapped you and our sister, Biathia."

Carter growled. "Not ringing any bells, the name or the event."

"You call her Claire, in this life. And I shouldn't be surprised you forgot...your mother had the Haitian erase your memories...she feared that you would remember who you once were."

"And who is that?" Carter asked. "This Abaddon?"

"The Destroyer of Worlds." Drago stated. "The three of us were rulers...gods and a goddess...till the Lord Above betrayed us a second time."

Carter scoffed. "You have the wrong man...I'm the Voice of that Lord Above."

"You are your own voice...you just don't have anything to say." Drago replied.

"Why are you here?"

Drago held out his hads. "I am here for the same reason I have done all of this...to find you, Abaddon...to bring you home."

^&^&^&^

"I think this is it." Linda said, looking at the lone door at the end of the hallway . "All the guards are focused on this room." Lee's snakes were doing their work, leaving the team alone, or the moment. "Now, lets see what we have in here..." She turned the handle slowly. "Be ready, we have no idea what threats-"

"WAAA! WAAA! WAAA!"

"WAAA! WAAA! WAAA!"

"WAAA! WAAA! WAAA!"

"Oh...oh my God." Ellie whispered, peering in the room.

In what had been the main processing room of the prison...were hundreds of cribs, each containing a wiggling, fussing baby.

The team stared on in shook as the sobs of hundreds of newborn orphans filled their ears.

"Bloody hell." Malcolm whispered.

^&^&^&^

Carter glared at Drago. "Sorry, but home is with my wife and children...the ones you tried to kill."

"It wasn't, once."

Carter's flames raged. "Don't act like you're my friend."

"You're right...I'm not your friend." And with that, Drago removed his hood. "I'm merely in his body."

Carter took a step back in horror.

"Marshal."

^&^&^&^

Author's notes: For those that forgot, Marshal is the animal shapeshifter that was Helena's partner. He went missing, presumed dead, when Gabriellia's hideout blew up during the Eclipse.

And now, as a special treat, here are the upcoming chapter titles for Elsewhere:

Chapter 93: Blood and Oil

Chapter 94: The Blackest Night

Chapter 95: Lasciate Ogne Aperanza, Voi Ch'intrate

Chapter 96: Out of the Frying Pan

Chapter 97: The Last Temptation of Carter Daniels

Chapter 98: Fighting Retreat

Chapter 99: Charge of the Light Brigade

Chapter 100: Milestone


	93. Blood and Oil

"This…this is hideous." Kelly whispered, walking down one of the crib rows, stopping before one crib to lift a tiny sleepy newborn girl into her arms. The little blonde haired babe nuzzled her chest, tiny fingers gripping her shirt. "We have to get them out of here."

"I'm with you all the way." Lee said, throwing out several sketches, summoning 3 burly men. "Gently grab as many babies as you can and get the hell out of here, avoiding detection." The 3 nodded, snatching several tots before leaving the room. "I'll begin making more babysitters."

Linda shook her head in disbelief. "Who could be this cruel?"

"I could." Adriana stated, all eyes turning to where she stood in her overseeing control room, high above the massive nursery. "By why is that cruel?"

"Dear God." Ellie whispered.

Malcolm's attack on the woman had done plenty of damage, but it seemed Adriana had done plenty more to herself. The side of her face that Malcolm had torn apart during their fight was now covered with metal, making her look more like a Terminator than a human being. Bits and pieces of machinery could be seen poking out of her flesh all over, and on her left arm an automatic assault rifle had been grafted right onto to bone.

Adriana tilted her head. "I don't think we should allow any more of your little paper soldiers to come about." Pressing several buttons on her right arm, Lee fell to the ground, screaming, blood oozing from his nose. "Don't like that, do you? Well, get use to it. I modified my power dampening collars to affects whoever I chose. I started with my dear friend Malcolm…" She pressed a button and Malcolm began to have seizures, Ellie holding him tight. After a moment, Adriana released him. "But now, I think I will enjoy toying with all of you."

Linda narrowed her eyes. "Why did you do this?"

Adriana shrugged. "My employer wants to advance this world…and it appeals to my curious nature." At that moment, 10 of Adriana's robotic guards marched in. "And now…let the games begin."

^&^&^&^

The swarm of corpses had separated the team into three groups now.

Micah, West and Tina were…somewhere, Terrence had no clue. His brother had disappeared, going radio silent since informing them he would find his way back to them. That left only himself and his little sister, Sarah, to wander the tunnels alone.

"I don't like this." Sarah whispered gently.

"We'll find the others." Terrence said sternly. "We just have to remain calm."

"That's not what I am talking about." Sarah stated. "I am talking about the fact that the horde behind us stormed pressing us 10 minutes ago. Why?"

"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth."

"Unless you expect him to bite you on the ass." Sarah countered. "They wanted us to separate, and they led us down this tunnel."

Terrence shook his head. "And why would they do that, assuming even for a moment they are smart enough to do that?"

"I think they are smart enough, or at least the man controlling them is." Sarah stated. She checked her weapons over once more. "And as for why, because they are separating those that can actually hurt them from those that can't. The only person whose powers apparently work on them is Tina…they probably have already driven her to stand by herself so they can overrun her. The rest of us they will take their sweet time."

"Must you be so cynical?" Terrence complained.

Sarah shook her head. "I find it hard to believe that you are handling this so calmly. I thought you were suppose to be a military man…why aren't you preparing?"

"I have been, I just didn't want the group tailing us to realize it!" He shouted, spinning around and firing at a corpse that had been sneaking up on them. Sarah leveled her weapons and opened fire, brother and sister marching backwards to take out the now growing group of undead bodies. Terrence grit his teeth, firing every shot with rage.

"Terrence…Terrence!" The men and women called out

"You know these guys are something?" Sarah asked.

"They are…were…Company agents. A lot of them died under my command." He dropped one of his guns and pulled out a foot long bayonet attachment, screwing it onto his semi-automatic. "Lucky for me, I see them only as sorry failures!" Letting out a battle cry, he rushed into the mob, hacking the apart.

^&^&^&^

Carter lowered his sword. "My God…Marshal."

"Yes…your friend, your mother's partner, returned to you." Drago/Marshal stated.

Carter slowly approached the figure, figures reaching out. "Marshal?"

"Yes."

"Do you really think I'm that stupid." Carter's shock transformed into anger as he slide one of his Azreal daggers from his sleeve and drove it into Drago's shoulder. The body snatcher bellowed as Carter leapt away, sword drawn. "I know all about you, spirit…you are nothing more than a demon wearing the flesh of my friend. And I am going to cut you out of there."

Drago rolled his head back and forth. "Perhaps, Abaddon, perhaps." The wound Carter and inflicted healed. "But this body is much better suited for me than any other…already the Light had touched it with her dark power, unlocking gifts Marshal never knew of."

"The Light you speak of is my daughter."

"Only in this life, Abaddon…soon you will join me and killing her and all other ties to this present form."

Carter exploded in flames. "Never." He growled.

Drago's own eyes went black. "So be it." He roared, leaping at Carter, fleshing ripping away as he shifted into a great black wolf, teeth bared and snapping at Carter's throat. Carter's hands reached up, just managing to grab the wolf's muzzle and pull it apart before it ripped his head clear off. Heaving, he set the beast flying, only for Drago to shudder, growing larger and more demonic.

"Awww damn it." Carter muttered, drawing his sword once more. "Alright wolfie…time to get Van Helsing on your ass."

^&^&^&^

The fight was not going well in the prison.

Every time it appeared one of them had a chance to take down the robotic attackers, Adriana would press a button and send that person to the ground, forcing the group to form a tight circle and protect them.

And all the while, the inventor taunted them.

"Be careful, don't want to hurt m future soldiers!" She called out as Linda bumped into a cradle, nearly tipping it over.

"How the hell do we fight her?" Kelly shouted, using the severed arm of one guard to beat another guard's head in.

"You don't." Adriana stated, pressing two buttons and causing Kelly and Lee to scream. Only Ellie remained unaffected, the only one of the group to gain powers through Vally and not through birth. And she could do little to stem the tide. "You can't win…I have studied all 5 of you and know what buttons to push to make all but Malcolm's girl scream…and she will be screaming soon enough."

Malcolm raised his gun, firing it at the control station, only for the glass to remain in tact. Adriana punished him, the British man screaming in agony.

"Just give up…nothing can save you now."

SNAP

The farthest wall exploded, and from the rubble Joseph emerged.

"Hello Adriana." Joseph said, raising his hands towards her. The inventor's eyes widened, her hand going to slam the steel shutters over the windows…

BOOM

The clap ripped through the room, crumpling the control room like a tin can.

Lee panted, shaking off the affects of Adriana's attack. "Thank you…but why…"

SNAP

Lee crashed against the wall, twitching.

"I'm the only one that gets to kill all of you."

Linda stepped in front of Lee. "Alright, asshole…you've hurt my friends long enough." The ground rumbled, and a column of water erupted before her. "Lets dance."

^&^&^&^

Sarah was doing the best she could to help Terrence, but there wasn't much she could manage. He was in the middle of the group, slashing and shooting, meaning she couldn't fire any of her weapons without hitting him. So she resorted to punching and kicking, using her super strength to tear the corpses to shreds.

Grabbing one, she spun him around, only to stare in horror.

"Isaac?" She whispered.

The dead artist looked at her, the top of his head gone and brain rotting away. "Eden…why did you abandon me…" he wheezed, shambling towards her.

"Oh God…Oh God."

"God can't save you now!" Terrence shouted, throwing her a knife. "Time to get stabbing!"

Sarah caught the blade, looking at Isaac. "I'm sorry." She drove the blade into his heart.

The corpse calmly ripped it and his heart free, staring at her before he lunged, blade headed right towards her heart.

^&^&^&^

Author's Note: Now, I know there was no cute or funny stuff in this chapter…and to make up for that, I bring you a deleted scene! Cue the Muppet Babies theme, its time for a Vally and Gabe short!

^&^&^&^

Madrid glared at Gabe. "Mama, make him give it back!"

"Give what back?" Madrid asked, trying to get the radio back to Carter's station so she could find out how he was managing.

Vally held Gabe out like he was a bag of trash. "Gabe stole my special bear!"

"Vally, he's just a baby, I don't think…"

"Yes he did! He's a bad baby…baby Sylar."

"Vally!" Madrid snapped. "Don't call him that!"

"But he is! He is a bad bear stealing baby!"

Madrid shook her head. "Vally, don't blame him for you misplacing things."

Vally pouted…for three seconds. "Gabe…give the special bear back or I rip Mr. Frog's head off." She pointed to Gabe's prized stuffed frog, the baby's favorite stuffed animal.

"Vally, that isn't…"

"Speeeeeee!" Gabriel squealed in a panic, body erupting in purple flames until the special bear was ejected from his body. Vally, smiling set, Gabe down on the counter next to Madrid.

"See mama…bad baby." She took her bear and hugged it. "…ok Gabe, lets go play!" She exclaimed, the whole ordeal forgotten. She picked up her brother and toddled away, the baby cooing happily.

Madrid shook her head.

^&^&^&^

Author's Note: Two more notes…for those who have taken the time (or even care), Gabriel is developing his own…well, I will call it baby language.

So far we have three turns:

'Spweee'- When confused, questioning or generally when he is spoken to. His version of "huh?"

'Squeeee'- When exicted

'Speeeee'- When scared or startled (though any of the other words can be used for a startled sound).

Yes…I have too much time on my hands.

Also, I would like to take the time to, at long last, thank my reviewers, especially Thomas, who has reviewed every chapter but, because he does so without an account, I have been unable to reply back and thank him. So, thank you Thomas, for taking the time to share your excitement about the story. I am eternally grateful!


	94. The Blackest Night

Linda and Joseph circled each other, the sobs of infants filling the room. Linda knew, without a doubt, she was at the disadvantage. Joseph would happily kill each and every child in this room, and would use her need to protect them to make her get sloppy.

She needed to eliminate the problem.

With one flick of her wrist she had Joseph down on the ground, screaming as his blood stopped in his veins. Knowing she only had seconds, she ran at him, calling a wall of water from the pipes to rush up and push the two of them out the door.

As the door slammed shut, her ears began to bleed.

Joseph unleashes a sonic blast that had her clutching her head in agony. He slowly stood, glaring at her before he kicked her harshly, whistling once more and send the sound knives right into her skull. Linda twisted, throwing her hand out and praying she was aiming the right way.

Luck was on her side.

Water burst from the sprinkler system, striking Joseph hard and fast. It was like a thousand little bullets were hitting him, each one bruising and breaking his skin. The old man roared in pain, slamming his hands together, the shockwave sending the water flying. He walked towards Linda, limping weakly.

"You stupid little girl." He slammed his foot into her gut. "You dare think you can match me?!?" He held his arms out wide. "I am Joseph! Bane of The Company! The Master of All Sound! Herald of Death! There is only one man worth to fight me, and you call him master." He grabbed her by the throat, lifting her up. "Where is the Metatron?"

"Far from you." Linda gasped, punching him in the side of the head. Joseph stumbled back, only to cry out when Lee fired one of his talking guns at him.

"Oh, that hurt!" The cartoon gun said right before Lee returned it to paper form.

Lee pulled out a long knife. "You know, I would try and convince you to help us…to change your ways…but Carter only has room for only a few former super villains on his team, and I don't feel like leaving to give my spot to you." He snapped his fingers, and more of his paper clones worked to gather the babies up, leaving the prison behind. "now then…what to do with you?"

^&^&^&^

Carter lashed out, his sword drawing blood. Drago roared, his form now that more like some Greek monster than any one true creature. Body of a wolf, the jaws of a shark, and razor sharp spines running down his back and tail. He latched onto Carter's hand, nearly ripping the limb off before Carter blasted him with a shot of whammy energy right down his throat. The Kensei blade flashed in the fires of Carter's flames, drops of the bodysnatcher's blood falling from its edge. Spinning around and sheathing his sword, Carter returned to his daggers, slashing at Drago's throat before taking off in a dead run.

He knew there was no way he could defeat Drago at the moment. The cave was set up for Drago to win, his place of power. He knew what lay at every corner, and Carter was a stranger. So, the Metatron smothered his need to take this beast's heart and instead opted to run and fight another day, satisfied he had managed to wound him at the very least.

"Abaddon!" Drago roared behind him. "Get back here Abaddon!"

Carter continued to run.

^&^&^&^

Tina whipped about, searching. She had been separated from the group, and now found herself in the tunnels by herself.

"Always alone." A cold voice called out.

Tina turned, eyes narrowing as her father emerged from the shadows. Daniel Linderman looked at his little girl, pity in his cold dead eyes.

"Always alone…always separated and abandoned. You want to pretend that you are part of a family, that you have been accepted, but you know the truth. You will never part of a family…you will never have happiness. You are destined to be a scared little girl, trapped in dar-"

Tina fired her acid, melting away half of her father's face.

"Sorry, not falling for it. Now, if you were a Black Lantern, maybe I'd be scared. But right now, you are just annoying me." Acid dripped from her fingers. "So I am going to do what I've always wanted to do…I am going to burn that smug look right off that damn face of yours!"

And with that, Tina attacked.

^&^&^&^

"Where is everyone?" West muttered, looking about the caves. "Micah, you got a read on anyone?" He turned, noticing that Micah had gone stock still. "Micah?"

"Answer him, sweetie." A cold voice stated.

Micah trembled as the two corpses emerged. "mom…dad?" he whispered.

DL and Nikki smiled as they approached him. "Hello baby."

"Aw shit." West muttered.

^&^&^&^

"What indeed?" Joseph snapped, spinning on his back and letting out a scream that sent Lee flying. "What to do about me indeed?" He marched towards the young man, snapping his fingers and causing Lee to cry out as his left wrist shattered. "What…indeed?"

"Hey asshole!" Kelly shouted, leaping at Joseph and punching him in the gut. "Try that with me."

"Your funeral." He muttered, clapping his hands. Kelly slammed into a wall, a sticky red spot appearing where she had hit. But Joseph blinked as she rose, body healing.

"Ouch, this mortal wound itches." She smirked. "I've evolved."

"The Light." Joseph snarled. "That damn little girl can never leave well enough alone!"

"No…she-she can't."

All but Joseph fell to their knees as Adriana pulled herself through the doorway, circuits sparking and her left leg damaged. She was pulling at the bits of machinery that made up her right arm, struggling to get it working right.

"If that little girl had never interfered, Malcolm here…" She pointed her arm at Malcolm, who began to seize, "would never had done this to me. Seems we have a common enemy."

"No." Joseph said. "You are merely bothering my enemies."

"But we-we-we could be friends…we worked together, did we not-not-not." Her head twitched slightly.

"I used Marie for my own pleasures…I cared nothing of her or your causes."

"I no longer serve Marie…I have a new master, a man of many gifts. He provided me with just such a gift, as he knew you would be coming. A token of proof to his power."

Touching a button, Adriana waved in the new arrive. The woman was a corpse, reanimated by Fredrick, her long hair combed and straighten, her body still clothed in the dress she had been buried in.

"Joseph?" She whispered.

Joseph stared at his long dead wife.

^&^&^&^

"Carter?" Madrid said over the headphone.

"Yes?" Carter whispered, hiding in an alcove.

"I need your help."

Carter licked his lips. "Is everyone ok?"

"No…Gabe won't stop crying."

Carter let out a sigh of relief. "Don't scare me like that."

"Sorry, but I need you to sing to him." Madrid stated.

"ABADDON!"

"not the best time."

"Carter, he needs a nap and I can't get him to calm down…please?"

Carter sighed. "Put him on." He heard some shuffling, and Vally crying out that she could sing just as good, her own rendition of "It's Raining Men" starting up moments before Gabe's whimpers filled is ears. "Ok buddy." Carter said quietly, looking around. "Don da-don da-don…" he began to sing. "It's time to start the music, its time to light the lights…its time to make the most of the Muppet show tonight."

Gabe began to quiet down.

"ABADDON!" Drago roared, bursting around a corner, forcing Carter to run.

"Its time to put on make up…" Carter continued to sing even as he ran. "its time to dress up right. Its time to raise the curtain on the Muppet show tonight." Drago grabbed him, tugging him to the ground. Grunting, Carter slammed his feet into the monster's chest, slamming Drago into the ceiling. The beast hadn't even fallen before Carter took off running again. "Why do we always come here, I guess we'll never know…its like some kind of torture…just trying to watch the show!"

He spun, blasting Drago with a whammy blast.

"Come on lets get things started…" Drago's roars faded in the distance. "Why don't we get things started. Come on lets get things started to the most sensational, inspirational, extensional, muppetational…this is what we call the Muppet show!"

"Oooo." Gabe cooed, calm at last. He let out a yawn and fell to sleep.

"Thank you Carter."

He panted. "no….problem."

^&^&^&^

"See what he can do?" Adriana stated. "See the glory…"

SNAP

The corpse shattered into dust as Joseph lowered his hand.

"You dare…you dare desecrate her grave!" He roared, Adriana only now realizing her error. He screamed as every sound in the prison amplified, shaking the building as if it were caught in an earthquake. He marched towards her, eyes wild. "Now you die."


	95. Lasciate Ogne Aperanza, Voi Ch'intrate

Sarah took several steps back, finding herself hitting Terrence. He too had decided to back away from the corpses that were approaching him, his powers useless again beings that had no working nervous system.

"So, any thoughts?" Sarah asked, raising her sword. "Because running away like bunnies doesn't seem like a heroic option."

"Or the way of a soldier." Terrence stated.

"And you would know the way of the soldier?" One of Terrence's corpse-buddies called out, moving out of the group and approaching. "You left me to die! To be tortured and beaten..."

"I did not." Terrence argued.

"HOw do you know?" The corpse asked. "You weren't there when I took my last breath, when I last looked upon the world with living eyes! You had turned tail and run!"

"I did not!" Terrence shouted.

"Liar!" The corpse screamed. "You speak ill words, and you are false! You left us all to die! You were a pathetic, worthless captain, and once more you have led your friends and family to..."

Sarah's sword swung out, slicing the corpse's head from his shoulders.

"Oh, shut up." She complained. She pointed her sword at the rest of them. "And the rest of you as well!"

"Eden...how can you be so cruel?" Issac asked.

"Because she needs to be." Terrence said, seeing how his words cut into her. "You know Eden...here is a thought...what if we switched dance partners?"

Sarah smirked. "I'm all for that." Brother and sister nodded before darting in opposite directions, attacking each other's enemies at once.

^&^&^&^

West fired his gun into DL, the dark skinned man merely twitching as he did so. West wasn't surprised...when you had a bullet hole through your chest already, one could not expect more of them to do much harm.

DL continued to come at him slowly, slinking through the tunnels, Nikki right behind him. The makeup they had used for her funeral was gone, revealing her charred flesh from where the fires had consumed her in New Orleans. Her hair was half gone, her wig long abandoned, and when she tried to smile it came out more as a sneer, due to half of the left side of her face being melted away.

"Micah...why are you running away baby?" Nikki asked, reaching out her hand. "Come on...we just want to take you home."

West forced Micah back. "Come on Micah, I need some help here!" he shouted.

"Mom...dad." That was all he could say, all he kept repeating, over and over and over again.

"That's right, it's us son." DL said.

West fired a shot right at Nikki's outstretched hand, blowing herfingers away. "They don't bleed when i shoot them, Micah, they are just more of the corpses!"

"But...maybe they..."

"No buts!" West scolded. "They are Fredrick's minnons! They are the reason we are fighting! The reason we are down in these tunnels!" DL moved to close and West struck out at him, just managing to punch him and dart away before Nikki could grab him. "Listen, I know this is horrible. No one should have to deal with this. You have suffered alot-"

"Yes son, you have...let us help." DL pleaded.

"-but you always wanted to be a hero...you wanted to help others. And that means doing things you don't want to do...like facing down these two." West put one more clip into his gun. "Somewhere in these tunnels is the monster that has been kidnapping babies, killing their parents and digging up corpses. Fredrick is a monster...just look at what he's done to your family!" He fired against at Nikki, taking out her ankle. "He needs to pay..."

"I know." Micah whispered. "But..."

"No buts." West reminded him. "You want to be a hero...you want to stop the villian? Then do youre damn duty and help me fight!"

West waiting, but MIcah said nothing.

"Then I guess you're just a kid I have to protect." he muttered, turning once more and unloading his clip into DL. Nikki hobbled after them, and West wondered how long he could last after he used his last bullet.

^&^&^&^

Joseph roared, slamming his palms together, the shockwave forcing Adriana back. She plunged her fist through a wall, using it to brace herself before she aimmed her left arm at him and opened fire. A hail of bullets flew at him, Jospeh just manging to snap his fingers and deflect them all.

"Maybe we shoudl leave..." Kelly stated, just before Joseph and Ardiana both turned and fired shots right at her feet.

"Don't move." Joseph snarled. "You fools are next."

"Right...next for me to k-k-kill." Adriana stated, turning on her powerblocker. Joseph roared as his ears began to bleed, Adriana approaching him. "See how easy it is to d-d-d-defeat you?" Her head twitched. "One small press of a button..." Her hand reached for hsi throat. "And you are hope-"

JOseph grabbed her wrist and ripped the powerblocker from her body. The moment it shut down he screamed, the sonic boom shattering the device.

"Not so hopeless now, am I?" he taunted, standing back up. He punched her in the face, a foolish move that left him with 3 broken knuckles.

"Yes, just in different ways." Ardiana stated. She came back at him, grabbing him by the throat and lifting him up. "I will kill you, Joseph. And I will have Fredrick bring you back, perhaps make you my doggy..."

Joseph glared at her. "No." He focused, and Ardiana began to scream bloody murder. Every piece of machinery on her, as well as every organ, found its sounds amplified 10 fold, her eardrums on the verge of ripping. But Joseph kept it right at that point, wanting her to suffer as long as he could. "I am the Master of Sound, the Voice of the Devil himself! I am the Herald of Hell." He leaned in close. "You never stood a chance!" He kicked her, hard, sending her rolling on the ground. "Your mind is gears and oil...mine is murder and revenge against the world. Raw humanity always beats the perfect machine." He snapped his fingers, taking out her left hand.

"That was how it was..." She ground out, a blade extending from her right wrist. She plunged it into his gut, sinking it just a cm above his intestines. Had she been functioning properly, it would have been a killing blow. "But now the world has changed...your kind is dying out."

"Who the hell do we root for?" Lee demanded.

"Both to die?" Linda questioned, limping towards him. "We need to go, now!"

"They really don't want us to leave." Kelly reminded them.

"It doesn't matter." Malcolm said, eyes white. With the power blocker gone, the chaos lines were screaming at him. "If we don't get the babies out of her in 4 minutes, they are all going to die, and us along with them."

^&^&^&^

Carter continued to move, Drago's bellows ringing in his ears. He didn't dare fight the monster in these close range tunnels, their fight sure to bring the rock down upon their heads and leave them both pinned and trapped, waiting for death. So he ran, unable to truly use his superspeed without risking running into a wall and bashing his brains in.

"Come now, Abaddon, don't be stupid!" Dragon shouted as Carter went through one branch in the tunnel. He continued forward, this tunnel growing wider and taller, and he thought that it would make a great place for a true stand against the shapeshifter. He spun around, drawing his sword and readying his flames.

But instead of running, Drago came around the bend calmly, looking at him in amusement.

"I know you would be laughing Abaddon, if you were truly yourself. YOu would laugh at how stupid this all is."

"What...me trying to kill you?" Carter asked.

"No...running into my trap." He reached towards the wall, pulling on a piece of metal that Carter had through was designed only to hold torches. With a crash a metal gate fell, trapping Carter and Drago.

"What ave you brought me?" A new voice called out.

Carter turned his head slightly, finally seeing what was behind him. For what he thought was a tunnel he now saw was a grand amphitheater, long buried under the streets of Paris. The great rock was carved to resemble some long forgotten city, built from the very stone the tunnels had been made from.

And from them now poured the undead.

Drago forgotten, Carter raised his blade, seeking to protect himself. He spun this was and that as the corpses snarled and snapped at his heels, seeking his flesh.

And from high above, lounging on hsi throne, Dr. Fredrick Frauzen smiled.

"You claim to be the Voice of God, Metatron. You claim to have seen Heaven's glory?" Fredrick scoffed. "Well then, allow me to be the first to say..."

Fire burst out all around Carter from every torch, the limp and dismembered bodies of Fredrick's victims still hung all about, blood coated the walls and ceilings. The screams and cries of the walking damned that Fredrick controled filled his ears as Carter whipped about, finding no way out. And written all over, the latin phrase 'Lasciate Ogne Aperanza, Voi Ch'intrate' was scratched into the rock. Truly, if there was one place that birthed all nighmares and horrors, it was this place Carter Daniels found himself in the middle of, trapped by the dead, the fire, and Drago himself.

"...Welcome to Hell."

^&^&^&^

Author's note; THe title of this story, which are the words Carter sees, is the famous phrase Dante sees went he enters hell in "Dante's Inferno". It is latin for "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here".


	96. Out of the Frying Pan

West dropped his last gun and pulled out a bowie knife Terrence had forced him to take, glad that for once he had listened to the former Company Agent. He swung the knife back and forth as Nikki and DL approached, their bodies riddled with bullets but still mobile.

Micah continued to tremble behind him, doing little to help his friend battle against the corpses. He could only stare at the beginning that in another life he had called mom and dad.

"You know, a frozen turkey would be more helpful right now!" West cried out. DL lashed out, backhanding him and sending him to the ground. Nikki rushed him, punching him in the gut and leaving him on the ground, wheezing.

Micah reached down, picking up the bowie knife that had fallen at his feet, holding it numbly as Nikki and DL approached him. "Its ok, son…its ok…" DL whispered. "We aren't going to hurt you."

Nikki nodded. "That's right, baby. We are here to take you home. Would you like that?"

"Home?" Micah whispered weakly.

"That's right…home." DL said. He moved to wrap an arm around Micah, the teen flinching away. "Why are you scared, Micah?"

"Don't you recognize us?" Nikki said sadly.

"Mom…"

"That's right baby…" Nikki slowly reached behind her, fingering the gun she had tugged in her waistband. "Let mama make it all better."

^&^&^&^

Joseph had ripped free a piece of old lead piping from the wall, swinging it in a lazy circle as he slowly marched towards Adriana, who was trying to get one of her other built-in weapons to work. "You know, I never liked you. Not from the moment I was forced to work with Marie…I hated you even then." He struck without warning, striking her across the face and drawing blood and oil. "Always sneaking around, avoiding fights…pathetic." He grinned like the madman he was. "Then again, I hate everyone, so who am I to judge!"

He began to strike her, over and over, laughing with glee as hot oil mixed with her blood and burned the back of his hands. Adriana curled in on herself, struggling to minimize the damage, as Joseph let her have it.

Neither noticed that their audience was long gone, Lee having dragged them back not the "nursery" throwing as many of his paper soldiers up. "Linda, how are we doing?" he called out, passing squirming, screaming newborns to a Spartan soldier before moving on to Billy the Kid.

"Joseph is beating the hell out of Adriana…he keeps this up he will be on us in a moment."

Malcolm, still leaning on Ellie, focused on the chaos lines, before reaching for a sleeping baby. "Sorry buddy, but its for the fate of the world." And with that, he ever so gently flicked the infant's ear. The baby stirred before letting out a horrible scream, Malcolm smirking as the chaos lines flared.

Joseph turned his head when he heard the scream; rage building when he saw that Lee and his team had escaped. "I told them to stay put!" He roared, readying to drag them all back into the hall and slaughter them right there.

However, Adriana took the opening, extending a spike from her wrist and driving it right into Joseph's ankle. The Master of Sound bellowed as he fell, his blood gushing onto the floor and making it slick.

"M-m-m-m-m-m-my turn." Adriana stated, twitching as she hobbled to him, her face bloody and sparking, hands not working quite right as she pressed her arm against his throat. "Ruined everything, ruined…" her head twitched violently, "…everything."

"Good…on…me…then." Joseph gasped out, Adriana just managing to clamp down on his throat before he could unleash a sonic scream.

Back in the nursery, Lee had gotten the last of the babies to one of his soldiers before he turned to the group. "Ok, lets get the hell out of here."

"Not yet." Malcolm said sternly, finally having the strength to walk on his own. "We have one more task." He flinched when he heard Joseph let loose a shockwave, Adriana slamming into the wall and nearly bringing it down. "We have to erase everything in their hard drives. Everything that they gathered on the children."

Kelly nodded, focusing. "I'm looking for the floor plan…" her eyes went white. "Got it. We got a bit of a run before us, they kept the main computers on the opposite side of the prison."

"Lets go then." Ellie said, moving forward. "The sooner we are out of here, the better."

^&^&^&^

Carter let out a roar as he drove the Kensai blade through the throat of one corpse, bits of decayed flesh hitting his mask. He pushed onward, every step taken resulting in a life-or-death struggle. His fists were forcing huge chunks of earth and bone to be ripped away, and always he was fighting against the grabby, unyielding hands of Fredrick's forces.

On his throne, Fredrick Frauzen watched the entire event with mild boredom. The living, he had found, just did not hold his attention. The dead were much more entertaining.

Though, he was annoyed that his 'family' had not dealt with the Metatron quickly enough.

He clapped his hands, signaling he wanted them to go in for the kill, the dead bodies pressing harder against Carter, trying to suffocate him.

With a bellow his flames exploded, the whammy energy forcing them back but doing little to actually get the zombies to stop. When one has no emotions, the Master of Fear was a small threat.

In that one aspect, though.

In others he was still quite deadly.

His sword sang as it ripped the air to ribbons, hewing the heads and limbs of his attackers. Every bit of training he had received upon his death, along with all the more he had gained these last few months, was put to the test. Static rang through his earpiece, making it clear he was completely cut off from his allies, but it mattered not.

"I am not going to die this day." He said to one corpse, reaching over and ripping its jaw off (for it was so decayed one could no longer tell its gender).

Fredrick continued to watch on, utterly bored to tears, as Carter reached the stairway and began to climb to the top.

^&^&^&^

"Micah!" West called out, trying to get his ally's attention. DL silenced him with a kick to the face, making West's jaw ache and feel like it had been kicked clean off.

"Come on baby…" Nikki said sweetly, slowly extracting the blade. "Let mama fix you right u-"

DL turned just in time to see Nikki stumble back, the bowie knife drive through her throat and up into her mouth. She gasped one final time before Micah ripped the blade free, the flesh of her neck stretch as he head flipped backwards and tore free.

"You are not my mother." Micah said sternly.

"You little brat!" DL roared, storming towards him. Micah slashed at him, but DL was too quick, punching Micah right in the face, blood pouring from his nose. "I am going to tear you apart piece by piece!" DL threatened. "I am going to eat your face and drink your spinal fluid!"

"And how will you do that without a head?" Tina asked as she stepped around the corner, holding up her hand. Acid shot from her palm, DL screaming as his skull melted away, his body reduced to a pile of steaming goo in a matter of seconds. "Well…that was fun." Tina said lightly.

West groaned as Micah helped him up. "Yeah, sure."

"I'm so sorry." Micah said. "It was-"

"I get it." West said. "I see my parents like that, I would have frozen up too. I'm just glad you snapped out of it."

Tina rolled her eyes. "Yeah yeah yeah, everyone has daddy issues but me." She reached down and picked up her own father's severed head, his face twisted in a look of fear and pain. "Isn't that right, ya bastard." Tina giggled the head around. "That's right Tina!" She said, voice low and with a British accent. She shrugged before she tossed Daniel Linderman's head away. "Now then, what do we do next?"

Micah touched his earpiece, forcing the static away. "We find Carter, Terrence and Sarah and then we deal with Fredrick."

West nodded. "And then we get the hell out of here."

^&^&^&^

"Well, you made it to the top." Fredrick said from where he sat, looking over at Carter. "Good on you, maybe you deserve to be a part of my family."

"No thanks." Carter grunted, slashing at one of Fredrick's guards.

"To each his own, I guess. Kill him." And with that, Fredrick turned his back on Carter, confident that his family could handle the Metatron.

Carter snarled, moving quickly along the thin strip of rock that formed Fredrick's perch, sending the bodies falling below him. He quickly sheathed his word and pulled out his fighting daggers, lashing out at the bodies that stood between him and Fredrick.

And just like that…they weren't.

Drago looked at Carter, shaking his head before he snatched the daggers from his hands. "Now now Fredrick." Drago said coldly. "My brother is our guest."

Carter narrowed his eyes. "Is that so?"

"Would you rather like to continue fighting?" Drago asked. He shook his head. "I am quite sure if you punch the rock one more time, you can bring the whole cavern down and kill you and Fredrick."

"I'm tougher to kill than you think." Carter answered.

"Then die…but then you will never learn what I have in store."

Carter, against his better judgment, stood down. "Then I guess I'm all ears."

Drago smiled. "Then come, Abaddon…let us have a truce for the next 10 minutes as I lay out my vision of our new world." He led Carter away, ignoring Fredrick's fuming.


	97. The Last Temptation of Carter Daniels

"Are you a God fearing man?"

Carter glanced over at Drago. It was the first time the body snatcher had spoken since he had beckoned him to enter the side tunnel, the dry darkness enclosing them on all sides, only their footfalls echoing in the deep.

"It is such a strange question, on so many levels." Drago stated, leading Carter farther and farther from Fredrick's chamber. "You are my brother, yet I know nothing of you."

"In a previous life, if one is to believe." Carter said simply, wondering where this conversation was going. It was disturbing, the way Drago would flip from rage to brotherly love on a dime.

"Oh, you are my brother. Deny it all you wish, but Abaddon lies within you, his soul yours. You have merely forgotten." Drago smiled, ever so slightly, and Carter felt his skin crawl. "But I ask again…are you a God fearing man? The fact that I am asking the Voice of God alone is quite amusing."

"Why should it be?" Carter asked. "I am still a man, no angel. God does not appear to me, demand of me things. I merely serve him, as all should."

"Yes…there is the key word. Serve." Drago paused at last, Carter and him in a large underground library, the stone shelves stacked high with scrolls and ancient books and little things that had not seen the light of day since they had been written. "It is not the first time you served him."

"quot;What do you mean?" Carter asked, working to never allow Drago to come behind him, to keep the door always at his back.

"God has a way of…abandoning his servants. He forgets them, asks for so much, and then gives nothing when they need him."

"I have heard this tale before from Marie Delpine. She too claimed to be the Voice of God…infact, you were the one that came to her."

"Indeed I was. And we both know that she never was the Voice of God…but I am here to tell you, Abaddon…you and I have served God.

"In our first lives, we belonged to a tribe, the first of humanity to be given powers. Strength, speed, flight, and so many more. Only we survived the flooding of the Earth, save for Noah and his ark. We were tasked to be God's angels upon Earth, to protect our lesser brothers against the darkness." Drago paused, glancing at Carter. "For 5 generations the tribe grew…and fo five generations they knew only happiness and servitude.

"Then the dark day came."

Drago grew quiet as he spoke, and though he wore another man's face, Carter could see the pain flash deep within the body-snatcher's eyes.

"I was but a child. You were older, just nearing the age between child and adult. It was you, Abaddon, who learned of our parents' death, slaughtered by the barbarians you call humanity. Never had one of the tribe died. Never. And when we begged God to bring them back…we received no reply.

"In our grief, we knew we had been betrayed. God had used us, and he felt no need to give us anything in return. That is when you decided, yes you Abaddon, that we would no longer serve him. We would become our own masters, make our own destinies."

"To serve in Heaven…or rule in Hell." Carter said, looking about it.

"I always laugh at the tales of Lucifer. How many of his legends were born from our deeds" Drago chuckled as he moved about the room. "We started small, stealing what food we needed, finding shelter where we good. But as we grew stronger…as our powers grew stronger, we rose up, becoming warlords, kings and a queen…and finally gods ourselves.

"We learned well for the harsh lessons God had taught us. To those that served us with loyality, we rewarded them with their hearts desires. For those that betrayed us…death would not come quick enough to them."

Carter crossed his arms over his chest. "Tell me, Drago…what the hell does any of this have to do with me and what you have been doing down here?"

"Everything." Drago said. "Long I waited for you and Bithiah to return to this world, and now you both walk the ground once more. Finally, at long last, my endgame can begin, and we can begin to change the world."

"You mean rule it, to take it over."

"No." Drago said, smiling. "Change it. We will not rule it, Abaddon…that is not our destiny. I have…far greater plans for this world than mere ruling."

Drago moved towards a table, pulling out several maps and scrolls and laying the out for Carter to see. Still weary, Carter moved towards his enemy, looking down at what he had to show.

There lay detailed draws of Vatican City, Israel, the West Bank, India, Tibet and other Holy sites, the birthplaces of all major religions. And on each map, there were small notes of their army strength and the dangers in attacking them.

"You want to destroy relgion."Carter said quietly.

"No, Abaddon…I am going to destroy God…and then we will take his place."

^&^&^&^

(The Alliance Safehouse-France)

Vally mumbled as she walked into the com room, rubbing her eyes. Helena looked up at her granddaughter and smirked. "I thought you were going to go to bed."

"Uh huh." Vally said, trying hard to show she wasn't sleepy. It had been a long night, the children up way too late, and Madrid had left an hour ago to get both Gabe and Vally settled while watched over Derek.

"And where is mommy?" Vic asked.

"uhhhhh…."

^&^&^&^

"SNORK!"

Gabe mumbled, curled up on his mother's chest, as Madrid, sprawled out on her bed, let out another unlady-like snore.

^&^&^&^

Helena laughed. "Come on, now that you put mommy to bed, its time I put you to bed."

"But I want to talk to daddy!" Vally whined, yawning.

"You can talk to him in the morning, now come on."

^&^&^&^

"What do you mean, replace God?"

"God is a cruel master, Abaddon. He has used this world for his own benefit, ignored the pleas of the people. Fredrick, do you know why he is the way he is? Because Sylar murdered his entire family. He never even ot to see the bodies, they were reduced to ash. And then, God has the nerve to give him a power…a power over the dead. A power…he can never use on his own family." Drago shook his head. "That is God's will. To take and to take…and never give."

"And that justifies him?"

"Most of the dead you see out there were already dead. What does it harm to have them alive again?"

"And what of the families you have taken?"

"The children, if you are only concerned about them, are alive and well."

"And their parents?" Carter asked.

"Dead."

"You murdered them."

"I killed evil beings. Let me ask you, Carter…if I told you that a man and woman worshipped a false god, that they tried to instill in their children these beliefs, and would harm them when they disagreed, would you agree that the children must be taken."

"And that is what you have done?"

"Not in this example. In that one I talk of all the many cults and religious sects the American government as removed children from. Did they not remove those young children from that group in Texas? How many cults have the government swooped in on and rescued the innocent, given them to good homes? I am merely doing the same. I am finding the innocent, and giving them over to good families."

"Ones that believe only in your cause."

Drago smiled. "But of course." He clenched his fist. "We can not grow soft, Abaddon. I have gathered those with abilities, rewarding them for serving me, and together we will tear down the religions, we will wage war upon god and we will win."

"And you believe yourself capable of taking His place?"

Drago chuckled. "Do not lie, Abaddon. Long in the darkness, when the world has fallen asleep, you wonder in your heart that if you are destined never to die, can you truly be called a mortal? And as your powers grow, you wonder deep within your soul…are you human? I am here to tell you, you are not. You have become a god, brother…you just never realized it."

"And your answer is to destroy the world."

"To make it better! To destroy the old world and build a world of peace! Have you not done the same thing?" he moved about Carter, like a serpent. "Did you not kill Marie? Merrick?"

"No…they died…"

"They died…not by your hand, but you would have killed them. To protect your family, to protect the world. I am merely doing the same thing. The world is my family, and God is Marie and Merrick to me. I am driving a dagger through God's heart, and I will take his place, a better and more just god…and I want you by my side." He stepped away. "You ask me not to kill? I will agree! You wish for no more innocents to be harmed, I will do so!" he clasped Carter's hands, and he found he could not force Drago away. "You and I brother…we will work together to make this world a better place. The babies I took, they are safe in Eastern Europe. We will raise them ourselves, teach them. No longer will we do as we did in the past, with murder and death…together, our combined forces will drive away the corrupt! You said that you could serve in Heaven, or rule in Hell. You are wrong. You can slave for Heaven…or you can save the World."

Carter shut his eyes, trembling slightly. "it is…a noble goal." He finally admitted. "And I believe…that you believe all that you say. And perhaps, from your side, you are the hero in this story. Only one thing concerns me."

"What…what can I do to make this right?" Drago said, knowing he was on the verge of victory.

"Nothing." Carter said. "Because you already did it." Whammy flames began to flare up all over his skin. "You tried to kill my wife and son…you shot my daughter!" He shoved Drago away, eyes glowing red as his silver flames exploded and he entered his ascended Metatron form. "You may have been my brother…I may have been Abaddon…but that was another life. And in this one…you tried to kill the people that matter most to me!"

"They aren't real…I am your family…not them. They are but shadows-"

"SHUT UP!" Carter roared, the scars on his back ripping open and his fires forming the illusion of angel wings. "You dare attack my family…my Madrid. My Gabriel. My Vally. And for that, brother…you are cast from my family."

"No…Abaddon…"

"You are no longer my kin. You belong to no house, your blood not mine." Carter drew his sword. "And I will see your head on a spike, and your soul burn in the fires of hell!"

"You…you never were going to turn, Metatron…you did this to learn of my plans!" Drago screamed in fury.

"Yes." Carter raised his weapon. "You are a fool, Drago. And now that I no longer need to learn of your plans…" His blade glowed with whammy energy, and before Drago could react, Carter lashed forward, his sword singing as it cleaved his left arm from his shoulder. "…you will die." He swung again, slicing off a chunk of Drago's right cheek. He watched as the blood dripped from his blade, enjoying it very...very much.

Drago narrowed his eyes. He threw off his robe, his bare flesh quivering as his arm regrew. "Metatron!" He pulled out a sword and raised it, features already shifting into something...not human.

"Come, brother..." Carter said coldly, "Its time to finish our dance."


	98. Fighting Retreat

Carter leapt high, soaring through the cavern's library, before he hit one of the large stone shelves. Clinging to it like some sort of bug, his sword now in his left hand, he looked down at Drago and sneered. The body-snatcher was using Marshal's powers to the fullest, his arms and legs bulging with new muscle, rock hard scales covered his neck and chest, eyes reptilian and cold. He spun his own sword, slowly moving towards Carter, licking his lips.

Picking up a stack of papers, Carter look down at Drago. "I imagine this is something very important." He balled his hand into a fist, the brittle paper turned to dust. "Oops." He grabbed another stack, tearing and ripping everything he could find. "You must have been gathering theses for years and years…no more copies left." He let the paper fall like confetti. "Again…oops."

Drago snarled, his fingers turning to claws. "You are not doing well to ease my temper, brother."

"You started this, Drago. I am merely finishing it." Carter glared at him, and as he spoke his words seemed to boom all about them, as if, for the very first time, Carter truly was speaking God's own words, "I will cut your hands and feet from your limbs. I will slit your throat and gouge out your eyes. I will rip out your tongue and drive my sword through your spine. And as you are reduced to ashes, your name will remembered for a new reason. 'Go tell of Drago…the fool that dared to cross Carter Daniels…the fool that shot his Valencia!'" At the mention of his daughter's name, Carter shoved himself from the bookcase, slamming into Drago full force. Swords fell as the two resorted tofist and claws, tearing and striking and ripping and beating one another. Whammy flames swirled about the two as Carter's glowing skin was cut and healed within seconds, Drago howling and snapping for his 'brother's' throat.

It was at this moment that Fredrick decided to arrive, flanked by two of his 'siblings'. The corpses tilted their head, confused to see Drago and the man Drago had said would be their need leader, battling one another.

Fredrick went from confused to rage within seconds. "I told you! I told you he would betray us!"

Carter held up his hand, blasting one of the corpses. "Mom and dad are chatting right now…f- off."

Drago snarled, hands grasping at Carter's throat. "He's right, Fredrick. Leave."

"He is ruining everything! He is killing my family! Let me kill him!" he motioned for one of his siblings to care of this, the corpse raising a gun.

"NO!" Carter and Drago roared, both rushing forward, grabbing a corpse and ripping it in half. "GET OUT!" They both screamed before going back at one another, blood staining the ground as they grappled.

Fredrick cradled one of the severed heads in his arms, staring at them in horror and rage. "You dare…you dare…..YOU DARE!" He held out his arms, veins popping in his throat. "MY BROTHERS! SISTER! RETURN TO ME!"

^&^&^&^

Terrence blinked, turning to Sarah. "Are they…running away?"

She nodded. "Yes…yes they are." She said in utter surprise. The bodies they had been fighting had, just seconds ago, looking up, twitched, and then darted away, leaving the two of them standing there like fools. "I don't suppose this means we got lucky?"

"No…it means someone else got unlucky." Terrence tapped his headset. "Micah…come on, lets see if these stupid things will work…Micah!"

"Right here."

Terrence turned, finding Micah, West and Tina standing there, looking at the two of them dully.

"Look!" Tina said happily. "I found my daddy!" She held up an acid etched skull. "We bonded."

"Well, that's nice. Anyone able to get the base?"

West frowned. "Not at all. Signals being blocked down here."

"Why were the corpses leaving?" Micah said. "We had more of them come swarming us…only to just run."

"Something called them back." Terrence said. "And I think we should take this opportunity to get out of here."

"I…agree!" Carter called out over the headset.

"Carter?" Sarah called out, pressing the earpiece tighter to her head. "Carter!?"

"Yeah!" Carter called out, grunting. "Listen…you guys…get out of here!"

"Where are you?"

"Fredrick's family home!" Carter called out. "Damn it!" She heard her brother grunt, followed by the sound of his fists striking flesh.

"What's going on?"

"The zombies…they all turn tail and run?

"Yeah, why is that?"

"Me." Carter panted. "They are coming to kill me and Drago…if we don't kill each other first!"

"WHAT?"

"Get the hell out of here, ok? Get everyone and go! I'll clean up."

"Carter!"

"That's an order, Sarah! Get out of here, now!" And with that, Carter killed the feed.

Sarah turned to Terrence. "What…what do we do?"

Terrence looked at her, before glancing at West and Micah, who nodded. "Never leave a man behind." He cocked his gun. "Lets go."

^&^&^&^

"That's the last of them!" Tony Stark told Lee, before the artist reduced him to a drawing once more.

"Thank you Tony." Lee said, looking back at the prison. Still they could hear the sounds of battle raging in the place, as Joseph and Adriana sought to bring it down on top of them. "What do we do now?"

Malcolm frowned. "You get the kids secured…we clean up."

"Clean up?" Kelly asked.

"Yeah." Malcolm said coldly, rolling his head back and forth. "Prof. Frey, would you do the honors?"

Linda smirked, eyes glowing blue.

^&^&^&^

"Stupid! Arogant! Bitch!" Joseph roared, punching her in the face over and over again. "Thinking you understand! Thinking you are in control!" He seized her by the throat. "You know nothing!"

The building rumbled around them.

"All your little projects, all your little plans, they are worthless. Nothing matters…nothing. Not life, not death, not anything. Its all useless."

"Then why do you go-go-go-go on?"

Joseph smirked. "Because, dear woman, I dream that maybe, I will finally find the person who, through facing me, will make this world worth something."

The building rumbled again.

Joseph slowly turned, watching as the floor buckled, the walls cracked, and the ceiling began to cave in. All around them a roar was forming.

"We…we have to go-go-go-go-go."

"No…we don't." Joseph said with a mad smile, eyes alit as the wall gave way and 10,000 gallons of waters rushed towards them. He lowered his head as the water reched them. "Hehe…it doesn't matter."

^&^&^&^

"Come on, is that the best you have?" Carter demanded, swinging his katana and nearly taking off Drago's head.

"Far from it, brother." Drago snapped, rearing back and locking his jaws on Carter's right arm. He screamed, pulling away, Drago likcing his lips as he swollen the flesh. Carter looked down at his healing skin, then once more at his opponent. "I will gobble you up piece by piece, removed all traces of the Metatron, until only Abaddon remains."

"Yeah, not in the mood for that." Carter said, firing a blast of whammy energy.

Fredrick continued to taunt them, telling them both how his family was coming and would make them both pay.

"Fredrick, when I am done, I am going to kill you." Drago snarled.

Carter smirked. "Finally we agree on something!" He swung his sword. "But you think too small Drago…you want to kill him?" Carter spun his blade. "I plan on taking Hell down."

^&^&^&^

Author's Note: Yes, a very short chapter. But we are only two away from the finale, and what I have planned will make it all worth it.


	99. Charge of the Light Brigade

Vally yawned, rubbing her eyes as she stepped into the communications hub. Madrid was sitting at the main console, nervous that they had not heard from Carter in some time. Gabriel lay in his mother's arms, a pacifier in his mouth, eyes looking about as he shifted slightly.

"Mama, is daddy back yet?" Vally asked, sitting down at her mother's feet.

"Not yet baby." Madrid said.

"Mama…what if daddy needs our help? How will we know?"

Madrid smiled weakly, not letting on that the same thoughts were running through her mind. "Aunt Sarah is with him… she'll help him."

Vally nodded before hugging her mother's leg. "I want daddy to come home."

"Me too baby…me too."

^&^&^&^

"Is this the best you can do, Drago?" Carter taunted, driving his sword into the body-snatcher's arm. "Really, I expected more." He swung his blade, missing Drago's throat by inches. He leapt back and took a moment to breath. He looked to his right, and with a smirk picking up duffle back that lay near Fredrick's stolen thrown. He waved it in the air, taunting his foe with the jingle of gold within. "This is what you have been reduced to, Drago? Robbing the graves of the dead?" He slung the pack around his shoulder. "Marie told me all about you, how you were so great, so powerful…granted, she killed you…and I plan to finish the job…still, I expected a challenge!" His flames burned along his sword as he readied himself for another skirmish.

Drago twisted his head, fur growing along his flesh. "Foolish boy…you may wear my brother's face, but you lack his wisdom. The only thing that has spared you from my wrath was my love of Abaddon." He pulled away his robes; skin warping and squirming as a second face grew upon his chest, the jaws and eyes of a mighty lion forming. "But now…I hold no such regard." As the dark brown fur finished covering his body, scales formed along his backside, elongating and twisting into the form of a great serpent. "I will tear you apart, rip your soul from your body…and then, then I will wait for my dear Abaddon to be born again!" His face elongated and stretched, horns growing upon his forehead, until his face was that of a goat. He held up a clawed hand, black nails glowing in the pale light of the cavern, before he leapt at Carter, ripping into his chest. "You will pay and you will die!" He roared, brutally striking Carter again and again. "I have had lifetimes to train, to learn…you are a babe compared to me! I have both learned and taught the greatest warriors in the world. Knights of renown, the most cunning of thieves and killers. Butchers and even Swordsaints! You think you are a match for me?!?"

Carter grunted, blasting himself free as Drago rushed him all the same once more. The tone of the battle had changed within seconds, Drago taking the advantage and pressing it. Carter swung his blade madly, trying to avoid the horns, fangs and jaws of the monster Drago had become, his blood staining the ground as Drago collected his pound of flesh.

Leaping over Drago's back, Carter moved to escape, only for find himself flung to the hard ground, the serpent tail sinking its fangs into his ankle. Drago let out a dark chuckle as he slowly began to reel him in like a struggling bass, wrapping him up tighter and tighter.

"Not so easy now, is it Metatron?"

^&^&^&^

"You think we are close?" West asked, the group turning a corner.

They skid to a stop, looking at the scene before them. A grand cavern lay before them, high above Carter battled to free himself from the gripe of a chimera. Below, the horde of undead watched out, murmuring to themselves. And just off to the side where Carter was fighting for his life, stood Fredrick Frauzen, one hand upon his golden throne.

"Yeah…I would say so." Sarah whispered.

"What do we have here?" Fredrick questioned, moving around his throne. "More intruders in my family home…more thieves come to steal away my brothers and sisters." He circled behind the golden seat, eyes riveted to the new arrivals. "I had brought my family here, to allow them the privilege of defending my honor after these two…ruffians…dared to disrespect me. But now…now I believe that I should give them the chance to stretch their muscles a tad, before they engage in glorious battle."

Moving to the front of the throne, Fredrick eased himself down, his right leg stretched out, right hand coming up to run along his chin. He stared at the group with lazy eyes, taking his time.

"Kill them. Every last one of them."

The corpses turned as one, bellowing in bloodlust.

"Aw shit." Terrence muttered, just having time to pull out his gun before he found himself engulfed by the mob, fighting for his very life.

"Good…good…keep fighting!" Fredrick screamed. "Bring glory to our house, my brothers and sisters!"

"This guy isn't all there, is he?" Tina asked, melting several zombies down to goo.

Sarah didn't respond, focused solely on getting to her brother's side.

^&^&^&^

"How does it feel, to know that this will be the end…no grand finale, no heroic sacrifice…just dying in the darkness, failing all." Drago leaned in close, his hot breath blasting on Carter's whitening face. "I would ask for an answer…but you very well can't talk now, can you?"

Carter's struggles had weakened, features growing slack as his vision grew blurry. The snake was still latched onto him, wrapped around him so heavily that only his face could be seen. He stiffened as Drago squeezed once more, cackling as he did so.

"You will never defeat me, Metatron…I will have my brother back."

Carter's eyes began to glow.

"What is this…are you going to try and make me feel fear? Go ahead…it was only make me squeeze harder!"

Carter's eyes flashed, and from each of them he fired a blast of whammy energy. Drago was prepared for this.

What he wasn't prepared for was the simple rule of physics…everything, even energy, has some mass.

The blast ripped through the lion's face on his chest, causing him to scream in agony. He tightened the snake only once, but this only made Carter's eye line jump, the blast rocketing up and ripping Drago's jaw from his face. Carter fell to the ground, gasping for air, as Drago bellowed out, his cries drowning out the sound of battle below.

Carter began to drag himself away, only for Drago's snake tail to grab hold of his ankle once more and throw him high into the air, Drago leaping after him, his jaw already reforming. Carter grabbed onto a rocking overhead, hanging from the ceiling and shook himself out of his stupor, pulling out his daggers.

"I am getting sick of that snake!" He shouted, letting go. As he fell he swung the bag filled with gold at Drago's head, before he grabbed onto the snake, using it to jerk Drago back down. His daggers flashed once, twice, and he found himself falling away from Drago, the now dead snake twitching in his hand.

Landing, Carter looked across the landing to where Drago had fallen, the shapeshifter roaring as he rose on his hind legs, both faces snapping at his direction.

Carter looked down. "Think I'll take my chances with the dead guys."

And with that, Carter dove off the platform into the mob below.

^&^&^&^

"Boring!" Fredrick shouted as West was punched in the gut, sending him stumbling. He leaned forward, waving his hand dismissively. "Come now, you must have something a bit more interesting you can do to try and stop them…if you merely die it is not entertaining in the slightest."

"I really hate him…I really do!" Tina shouted, ducking a punch and slamming her palms into a corpse's stomach, making it burst open and covered her with guts. "I…really…hate…all…of…this!" She screamed in frustration.

Terrence stood in front of Micah, doing his best to protect the youngest member of the group. "Damn it, we are doing nothing!"

"Oh, you are doing something." Fredrick taunted. "You are failing. You are losing. You are dying. See…you are doing more than nothing…so much more."

Sarah grit her teeth. "SHUT UP!" She shouted, blasting Fredrick with a shot of whammy flames. He fell to his knees, screaming.

As did this army of corpses.

"What…the hell?" Tina whispered.

"He doesn't bring them back to life…" reutilization

"What?" West exclaimed.

"He is all the corpses…they are connected to him! We hurt him…we hurt all of them."

Terrence and Sarah shared a look. "Best news I heard all day." Terrence said.

"Mom has been saying I should connect more with my birth family." Terrence and Sarah both raised their hands, whammy flames and white electricity crackling in the air. "hey Fredrick! Here's another bit of medicine for you!"

The twin blasts had the Doctor twitching on the floor, his army falling down, lifeless and cold, their fight gone. Sarah took a step forward, firing another blast, a wicked grin on her face.

"This is for all the misery you caused!" She shouted. "This is for all the pain!" She fired off to more blasts. "This is for making come into these damn catacombs!" Her eyes went blood red. "AND THIS IS HURTING MY NIECE!"

Fredrick reared up, throat going raw as the whammy flames twisted his already fragile psyche. Sarah licked her eyes, ready to head up the stairs…only to find Carter pulling her back.

"NO!" Carter shouted. "We need to go!"

"We have him on the run!" Sarah shouted.

Drago roared from up high.

"We aren't ready to take on Fredrick's new friend." Carter said sternly. "We need to regroup, now!" He turned to the group. "Everyone accounted for?"

Terrence nodded. "Yeah…and judging from the way Drago is twitching, I would say its time to go."

Indeed, Drago seemed to be growing larger, spikes forming along his spine as bat-like wings burst from his shoulder blades.

"Time to go!" Tina shouted, firing a final blast of acid at Drago, just managing to nail him in the face. Drago clawed as his melting eyes, screaming his outrage. "That bought us a minute, lets get the heck out of here!"

Carter nodded, pushing Sarah away. "lets go!"

"Yes…go!" Drago roared, still blind, Fredrick whimpering near his feet. "Run away, Metatron, like the coward you are. But know this…you may wear my brother's face, but you are not him…and I will see you pay for destroying his good name as you have! Your death will not come for a long time…only will it come after I am done with your family."

Carter froze.

"Yes…your family…I will use all my skills to destroy them first. I will break your sisters, Claire and Sarah…I will drive them into madness, and when the darkness finally comes for them, have this wretch Fredrick turn their lifeless husks into my slaves. I will pull every bone from your mother's twitching bone, then impale each into your father's whimpering body. I will find your son, asleep in his crib, and slam his head against the wall to it is stained crimson with his blood. I will flay your wife and drag her through the streets, only to let her heal so I can do it again and again. And your daughter…the one they call the Avatar, the one you all believe destined to bring peace to this world…she will be the last thing you see, her limp cold body sliding to the ground after I am down using her tiny form to slate my lust, split in two and degraded and broken. This is your fate for daring to spit upon my offer of brotherhood! No where you hide will be safe…no matter how many of your friends you gather to you, they will not be enough to stop me! I will have my vengeance upon you, Carter Daniels, and it will be brought forth by the body and blood of all those you love!"

Drago's body finished its transformation, and where once had stood first a man and then a chimera was now a great black dragon, nearly filling the entire room, its red eyes still healing from Tina's acid attack. His forked tongue flicked out as winds whipped about the room from his beating wings, his tail curling around Fredrick's moaning form and lifting him up. The beast blinked, trying to find Carter, watching to sink his teeth into his foe's soft body.

The Metatron took a step forward.

"Carter!" Terrence called out. He felt Sarah grab him, preventing him from stopping Carter from going forward. But when he looked in her eyes, he saw not Sarah Daniels, but the Envoy, the Word of God.

"You want my love." The Metatron said, raising his blade.

"Yes." Drago hissed. "Call them what you want…your family…your kin…your love…I will have them."

The Metatron's mind went back, months ago, to the dream he, Madrid and Vally had shared…the dream of a great Drago seeking to consume the world, only the three of them there to stand against it.

And in that moment, he knew what he had to do…he could not defeat this beast…not yet. But he would slow him down.

Those behind him went shock-still as Carter plunged his sword into his chest.

"**My love is in here."** He said, removing his hands from his hilt and gripping the edge of the wound. With a mighty pull he ripped his chest open. But where should have been his beating heart, there instead glowed a raging ball of fire, swirling and quivering behind his rips. The source of Carter's fires suddenly flared. **"Take it."**

All was quiet.

All was still.

And then…glorious chaos.

Pure white flames shot from his chest, striking Drago and sending the dragon falling back. He roared as his skin was burned, clawing and thrashing about. Carter's own body was sent rocketing back, Sarah's own super speed he only thing keeping him from crushing his spine against the back wall. She held him tight as he unleashed everything, Drago bellowing as he finally fell, smashing the throne all the bodies that lay below him.

The cavern began to rumble.

Carter smiled weakly as Terrence pulled the kensei blade from his chest, his great wound healing, the now tiny ball of fire glowing like a still hot ember as his skin sealed shut. "It is as you said…Drago…one wrong punch brings the whole place down." He shut his eyes, Sarah lifting him up and dashing for the exit as the cavern collapsed behind them.

"Metatron!" Drago managed to scream one last time before the great hall fell, silencing him as he was buried under tons of solid rock. Sarah just managed to get herself and her brother clear, Terrence, West, Tina and Micah looking on as the exit was sealed by several giant hunks of stone.

Micah looked at them all before asking what they all wondered.

"Can we go home now?"

^&^&^&^

Two hours later, Carter found himself being shaken, forced to wake up.

"You aren't scaring that little girl." Tina said sternly. "Now wake up."

Carter nodded, his entire body feeling as if it were broken. Forcing himself to sit up straight, he looked out the window of the van in time to see Vally running towards them.

"DADDY!" She squealed, not even letting the van stop. She merely leapt forward, breaking the window as she flew into the van, arms wrapping around his neck.

"Vally!" Madrid called out, chasing after her.

Carter had no strength to scold his child, Drago's dark words still echoing and causing him to hug her all the tighter, tears running down his cheeks. "Hi princess." He whispered.

Vally smiled, kissing him several times. "Missed you daddy."

"Missed you too." Carter whispered, getting out of the van. Before Madrid could say a word he grabbed her, kissing her hard, Vally and Gabriel held between them.

"Carter?" Madrid finally said after he released her from the toe curling kiss. "What…"

"Later…I just want to be with you guys right now."

Vally, however, did not let him have peace. "Where's our presents?"

"In the bag, cutie." Tina said, throwing the duffle Carter had stolen from Drago. Vally rushed over, giggling as she pulled out a tiara.

"Look mama, I'm a real princess!" She ran to Gabriel, giving the baby a small golden scepter. "And Gabe gets the shiny rattle!"

Helena, who had come out of the house followed by Vic, chuckled. "Those shine like real diamonds."

"They are." Terrence said, mood grim but still managing a slight smile as he watched his niece place. It was still weird to think that only a month ago, he had wanted to kidnap the little girl…and here he was, watching her play. The words Drago had spoken echoed in his mind too, and he knew now that, whatever he had believed earlier, he would not be able to leave after this mission. He could not let his only surviving family members, suffer and die at the hands of that monster. Now, as long as he drew breath…Terrence Harper would put aside his rivalry with his brother, and stand with him and Sarah…the three youngest members of the House of Ellis.

"What happened?" Vic said.

"Bad stuff." Carter managed to get out.

"Welcome to the club." Malcolm called out. They all turned to see him jump out of a large bus, several move pulling up behind his. "Carter…we need to talk."

^&^&^&^

Author's Notes; A lot of stuff going on here, I'll hit only on a few.

The chimera form of Drago comes from me playing way too much God of War 3.

I forget which chapter, but Carter, Madrid and Vally all shared a dream where a great black dragon appeared and threatened them, and as it did so their backs ripped open and angelic wings burst forth. I am so glad that I finally get to pay that dream off…yes, since early on I knew everything was leading to the House of Ellis facing Drago.

Now, here comes the very long, very detailed explanation of what the heck all that with Carter stabbing himself was about. I am basically going to spell a lot of stuff out for you guys, so if you would rather research it yourself, go ahead…that scene has a ton to do with the HEROES mythology. A lot of this was planned, but I will admit a few things are happy accidents.

Takezo Kensei is a swordsman of legend in the Heroes universe. The first Kensei was Adam Monroe, who is the great grandfather of Carter Daniels (Adam and an unknown prostitute produced the age manipulating Vic Daniels. Vic would impregnate Joy Ellis, the daughter of Isaiah Ellis. Her son was Edward Ellis, the man that would rape Meredith Gordon, this rape resulting in the birth of Carter). The second Kensei is Hiro Nakamura. Hiro's grandfather, in heaven, would train Carter in the ways of the katana during the time Carter was dead (Between the events of Season 1 and 2. This was revealed when Carter battled Kato Nakamura in the chapter "godfire"). Thus Carter, already, is linked twice to the men known as Kensei. Also, because of the many legends of Kensei, it can be assumed that there were other figures whose stories were merged together with Kensei, just as they were done with Hiro and Adam.

And, of course, Carter now wields the kensei blade, Madrid having had the sword stolen from Hiro and making a duplicate, keeping the original and returning to Hiro the new one.

Now then…the first legend of Kensei states that he had great power he could not control, until he discovered a sword in the ice. This did not happen with either Hiro or Adam.

But Carter, who did not have control of his powers, returned to the land of the living in Alaska, during a snowstorm. And when he returned in this land of ice, he found control over his powers.

The other legend of Kensei's beginning is that he was taught the ways of the blade by a great Drago. In this chapter, Drago states he has taught many…including swordsaints…kensei means "Swordsaint". Thus, it can be assumed that Drago trained swordsaints…and very likely Adam Monroe.

The final legend of Kensei is told to us by Hiro in "Landslide": The Dragon returned to Kensei and demanded payment…he wanted his love…the princess. Carter commonly calls Vally "princess". Kensei responds by cutting out his own heart and telling the dragon "My love is in here…take it."

This never happened to Hiro or Adam.

Thus, my take: Several of the legends of Kensei were not legends, but prophecies of the 3rd swordsaint that would arise. Carter Daniels, the great grandson of the first kensei, trained by the grandfather of the second, in that moment, became the 3rd Kensei, plunging his sword to cut out his own heart to stop the great Dragon who trained the first. Thus, all the legends of Takezo Kensei have come to pass.

Finally, we have only one more chapter to go in this mini Volume, "In Darkness Dwells". The battle against Drago is over…but the war is about to begin. And what happens in Chapter 100, "Milestone" will change both ELSEWHERE and HEROES forever.

The End Has Come


	100. Milestone

Gabriel rubbed his head against Carter's bare chest, little fingers flexing as they tried to find something to hold. The baby was clad only in his diaper, eyes staring up at his father as Carter fed him.

The darkness around the house was nothing to Carter. The catacombs had been his darkest fear, and would stay in his mind for the rest of his days. But this darkness, with the half moon shining above, the stars casting their light on him as he fed his son his bottle…this was a good darkness, a welcomed darkness.

Rocking his child back and forth, Carter looked out over the dark landscape, his mind still troubled.

Drago's words echoed in his head. His family would be hunted…no matter how hard they hid themselves, they would be hunted…

"You know, you don't need to do that."

Carter turned to find Madrid standing in the doorway of the nursery. She moved towards him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"I mean…we have plenty of nannies."

This was true. When Malcolm had arrived, Carter and the rest had been horrified to learn that Drago and Adriana had teamed up, planning to turn the orphaned children into their own private army…the thought that the innocent babies would, years later, lead their own undead parents into war…

Lee had drawn up nurses and nannines, hundreds of them, who were now stationed in the ballroom, converted into a massive daycare center. It was a temporary fix…Vic had spent much of the evening calling Alliance members, to see who could help by taking in a child. Each, Carter knew, would have powers, and Malcolm's chaos vision showed that one day each would be very powerful. The babies would be protected, no matter what.

"The orphans can have the nannies. As horrible as it sounds…my son deserves only me." He leaned his head down, placing a gentle kiss on Gabe's forehead. The baby murmured, eyes fluttering before he finally gave in to sleep. "I'm so sorry." Carter said at long last. "I am so sorry I put you all in such danger."

"It is Drago that has put us in danger, not you." Madrid said, resting her chin on his shoulder. "And you beat him."

"He's still out there…I can feel it. There is a connection between us now…and it will not break till one of us is dead. And unfortunately, at the moment, we are both immortal."

"Immortal." Madrid whispered. "Hard to believe." She stared down at Gabriel. "Will he even understand what that means? He is one of the first to be born this way… will our son understand what we were once…"

"We will make sure of it." Carter said softly. He looked at her, shifting Gabriel slightly. "Do you ever regret it? Getting roped up in this life?"

Madrid smiled. "Never." She reached around him, her hand running along his chest. "My life would have been so empty without you…without our family. You gave me the greatest gift of all…" Her fingers exploded in red flames. "And not just with the whammy energy."

Carter chuckled, watching the flames. Gabriel, even as he slept, began to glow purple in response to his mother's fire. "Didn't realize that stuck with you after this little guy wormed his way out."

Madrid nodded. "Think I have it now forever…don't mind it so much now, getting use to it." She shook her hand, the flames flickering away, Gabriel returning to his normal, healthy pink color.

Carter was slight for a long time. Finally, when he spoke, his voice was utterly quiet. "He's going to hunt us. He is going to hunt us till the bitter end, and if he ever does catch up, he is going to kill me through hurting all of you. There is only one thing I can do now…"

"What is it?" Madrid whispered.

"If I do…what I am thinking of…everything will change. In the short term, we will be safe. But we have forever…and I don't know what will happen after too long."

Madrid pressed her face to his. "It doesn't matter what you chose…I will stand by you till the end."

^&^&^&^

(Eastern Europe)

Lyger looked at the remains of the prison in disgust.

His brother and master, Fredrick, had demanded he go and see to Adriana, to make sure the cyborg was doing her job. From the looks of the rubble that lay on the ground, it was clear enough that she had been failing.

Letting out a sigh, the dead man got to work, pushing slabs of stone aside in hopes of finding something, anything, that might tell him what had happened.

Heaving one stone aside, he stared at Adriana's body, watching it twitch and move about slowly. Shaking his head, he grabbed her by the scruff of her neck.

"Let's go." He said, pulling her up. He blinked, startled to find her arms and legs missing, her eyes wide with fear.

"R-r-r-r-r-r-run." She managed to get out.

SNAP

The ground exploded, Lyger just managing to twist away. As bits of stone rained from the sky, Lyger looked at hole formed in the destruction, a lone figure leaping out.

Joseph rolled his neck, a dark smile on his face.

Lyger pulled a gun from his pocket, firing.

SNAP SNAP SNAP

The bullets fell at Joseph's feet.

"Aaaahh….pointless."

^&^&^&^

Carter stood in front of his family and friends. He had just gotten done telling them his plan, and now they sat there, staring at him, wondering if he was serious. What he had just stated…it was insanity. It would mean the death of everything they knew…their lives twisted and transformed, their futures thrown to the winds. Even Malcolm could not predict their fates.

"I know what this means…to each and every one of you. I understand that what I am asking…will change everything. I have already dragged you all deeper into this than I ever wished. I…I never wanted this. But it is the only way." He licked his lips. "I will be leaving tomorrow…Madrid, Vally and Gabriel will be going with me. I do not expect any of you to come. I do not want you to. I would see you all leave…to turn from me, to run and hide yourselves. This war…we have known that it was coming. But now that it is here…I do not want any of you to fight." He looked out at all of them. "To any that feel they owe me…your debt has long been repaid. Do not stand by me…live your lives…and my God watch over you."

They all sat in utter silence, the weight of what Carter had said echoing in their thoughts.

And then…

"I always knew you were an idiot." Hank said at last, his words angry. "But never this dumb."

"I know it is a dangerous plan-"

"Shut up." Hank snapped. "This has nothing to do with your plan. This has everything to do with you thinking any of us would turn away from you now." He stood up, poking Carter in the chest. "You saved my life…not just physically, but spiritually, mentally. I shudder to think of the man I would have been, had you and I not left Flint in that car, one year ago." He looked over at Biddy, who cradled Derek in her arms. "You gave me a wife…a son…and when they were in danger, you gave yourself in to torture to see them safely brought back here." Hank lowered himself to one knee. "I will live forever…and I doubt even that will give me the time to pay my debt back to you." He looked up at him, clasping Carter's hand. "I can not think of a better fate than standing beside you, my friend, brother, my king."

Kelly rose next, giving him a small slap. "I was there since the beginning, Carter. I have been a part of this since the first time your powers appeared. I started this journey with you…and I want to see how it ends."

Linda shook her head. "You were always my best student, Carter Daniels, but you still have much to learn." She leaned in her chair. "I will be happy to stay and teach you."

Lee rose. "I hated you…but I did not know you. You so easily could have taken the path of darkness as I did…but you chose the light. And more than that…you brought me out of the darkness, and showed me the type of man I could be. Now that you face darkness again, I will serve as your guide, as your ally."

Tina smiled. "You and I are unlikely allies, Carter…be a shame to break up such a good team."

Sarah just glared at her brother. "You don't protect me, baby brother. I protect you. And that means keeping you from getting yourself killed."

Helena and Vic smiled proudly at their son, no words spoken.

Terrence shook his head, but still smiled. "Already a disgrace…lets make it official little brother." West and Micah nodded in agreement.

Malcolm finally stood, Ellie's hand clutched in his. "I do not know what the future will bring this time, Carter. The chaos lines are too tangles. But I do know, if there is one man I am going to bet on…its you."

Vally scrambled over and hugged her father's leg. "Not getting' rid of us!"

Carter smiled, tears in his eyes. "Ok…ok. Let's go."

^&^&^&^

_"From the darkness the shapes take form...one of a man, powerful and just, sword in one hand and a flame in the other"_

_^&^&^&^_

Carter looked at the Chateau one last time before stepping into the limo.

^&^&^&^

"_The other a monster, cloaked in the night, his strength and fury a disease upon the world" _

^&^&^&^

Joseph trudged along the barren landscape, dragging the bodies of Lyger and Adriana with him.

^&^&^&^

"_But dawn breaks and you see nothing more than shadows dreamed by a restless mind. It is only in the light of d__ay… that the true question you should have asked is revealed:"_

_^&^&^&^_

In a Parsian park, the ground rumbled and cracked…befor Drago pulled himself free, Fredrick's unconscious form under his arm.

^&^&^&^

"_Are you the monster...or the man?"_ _-Mohinder Suresh_

^&^&^&^

End of Volume 5.5

^&^&^&^

Volume 6 Brave New World

^&^&^&^

(New York City)  
"What is going on?" Hiro asked Ando, watching as Claire climbed to the top of the Ferris Wheel. Samuel had been defeated, and Hiro had believed that, at long last, it would be time to finally rest.

"She is changing everything, Hiro." A man said in Japanese, stepping next to the two men.

Hiro frowned. "Do I know you?"

"In a way." The man said in English. "I am Takezo Kensei's great grandson." The man paused, turning to smile at Ando. "Good to see you again…and not with my sword at your throat."

Ando's eyes widened. "Carter? Carter Daniels?"

"You know him?" Hiro asked.

"While you were lost in time…your father and I tracked him down."

"Water under the bridge, as they say." Carter said calmly, tilting his head to watch Claire climb. "I was coming to ask my sister something…but it appears that she has already decided upon her answer."

Hiro frowned. "She is going to reveal us…the world will know of our powers." He turned to Ando, the implications sinking it. "How can we retire now?"

"Retire?" Carter asked, his duster swirling about him. "No…our kind does not retire, Hiro." Carter glanced at him once more. "Atleast, not this day."

"What do you mean?" Ando asked.

"A war is coming…a darkness. One that threatens each and every one of us, and will seek to destroy all that would hope to oppose him. He will snuff out free will and turn the world into his slave, until all are merely reflections of him. He is a greater threat than any either of us have faced." Carter locked eyes with the time-traveler. "The time has come…that we can no longer ignore each others presence…no longer can we exist separately. We will unite together…or we will die all alone."

Claire cried out, the cameras following her as she fell.

"That's my cue." Carter said, walking away from Hiro and Ando. It was only as he stepped away that Hiro realized that Carter was not alone; he was followed by a group of people, young and old, two women clutching babies, a little girl darting about.

"My name is Claire Bennet, and this is attempt number...I guess I've kind of lost count."

With those words, the world began to change. People all over were now witnessing a new age, a new world, taking form.

The reporters swarmed Claire, mobbing her and trying to get a statement. Both Noah and Peter were ready to step in…when Carter forced his way through the crowd.

"Back off! I said back off!" He shouted, his friends and family helping pull the reporters away.

Claire looked at her half brother in shock. "What are you doing?!?" She hissed, fearing he was going to try and undo what she had just done.

Carter merely smiled. "Family stands by each other."

And with that, he burst into flames.

"Oh my God." Sylar whispered.

Carter focused, going into his Metatron form. The reporters stood there, slack jawed, staring. Behind him, Madrid, Valencia, Gabriel and Sarah burst into their own fiery forms. Tina let acid fall from her fingers, Malcolm and Kelly's eyes went white, Lee held up a sheet of paper, creating a small bunny, Hank went half-invisible, a fountain exploded as Linda called the water to her, while the others remained with them, united.

Lauren turned to Noah. "This…this…"  
Noah, for the first time, could not find words.

Carter cleared his throat, taking Claire's hand in his. "My name is Carter Daniels…and the time has come for the world to know of my story."

^&^&^&^

To be concluded…

^&^&^&^

And now, the trailer for Elsewhere- Volume 6: Brave New World

^&^&^&^

For four years, they have remained separate

(We see Carter taking on Merrick, then Peter attacking Samuel)

Two sides, one world

(We see Madrid growing an extra set of arms, then Claire healing after she stopped Ted)

Now, the time has come…for them to unite

(The picture fades in on Martha, sitting with Angela Petrelli)

Martha: Drago will never allow Vally to come of age. She alone holds the power to unite us all, to defeat him and all like him. Should she die, the world will fall under a darkness I doubt it will ever emerge from. But should she survive, she will usher in a golden age that will surpass all that we dare hope.

Angela: (frowning) What would you have me do?

Martha: Give Carter the army he needs.

(We see Hank Delpine and Matt Parkman watching the New York skyline…buildings on fire)

Matt: Who could do such a thing?

Hank: Guess.

(We see Drago walking about the streets, Fredrick and Adriana at his side. We cut to Claire, standing in front of a large group)

Claire: I know you are all scared…that you wish this darkness had not come during your life. But…all heroes have wished these things. And I will tell you this…if we are not willing to die for the most innocent of us…then our lives are worth nothing!

THIS FALL

(We see Malcolm holding out his hands, silver lines flaring about him)

Malcolm: All that matters in this life…is how you use the time given to you

TWO WORLDS WILL UNITE

(We see Sylar place a hand on Carter's shoulder)

Sylar: I will stand with you…till the very end.

(Carter places his hand of Sylar's and nods.)

Carter: Thank you Gabriel.

AND AN EPIC JOURNEY WILL COME TO AN END

(We see Hiro and Ando holding Gabe, running down an alley)

FOR EVERY FALL, THERE IS A RISE

(We see Joseph smiling, snapping his fingers and shattering buildings)

FOR EVERY CRIME, THERE IS JUSTICE

(We see Terrence staring down Fredrick)

FOR EVERY VILLAIN, THERE IS A HERO

(We see Tina and Kelly gunning down Fredrick's zombies)

FOR EVERY PAST GENERATION, THERE IS THE NEXT

(We see Vally backing away in terror, Sylar pushing her behind him as Drago approaches. We cut to Helena and Bennet standing together)

Helena: We can no longer protect them…we can only hope.

(We see Tracy and Linda working together to take on several gunmen)

FOR EVERY BEGINNING, THERE IS AN END

(We see Matt hiding a building with Madrid)

Matt: I don't think we can win this.

Madrid: We don't matter…we only have to give Carter and Peter their chance.

(We see Peter holding Carter, flying him out of the city. The camera pans up…to reveal a gigantic black dragon high in the sky. Carter and Peter nod, before rocketing towards it's mouth…and the screen goes black)

ELSEWHERE- Volume 6: Brave New World

The final act begins

Fall 2010

^&^&^&^

Author's Note: And so we come to it at last. 100 chapters...4 years of work. And now, at long last, Carter and his team unite with the cast of HEROES. What you will see this fall I will keep to myself, but it will take Elsewhere, writing wise, in a new direction. And even if Heroes is canceled, I will be finishing there story.

It is wonderful and a bit bittersweet...this story has been a part of me for a long time, and now we are closing in on the end.

BUt what an end it will be...


	101. Infamous

**Brave New World**

**

* * *

**

_"If nature has taught us anything, it is that there is only a limited amount of space to be had. All creatures that dwell under the sun must compete for resources to ensure their survival. But when the line is drawn, and one species becomes forever more two…an arms race begins, to determine who will inherit the Earth…and who will fade from memory."_

_-Mohinder Suresh_

* * *

"My name is Carter Daniels…and it is time for the world to know of my story."

The silence lasted for 3 ticks. 3 ticks was all Carter had to witness the history of mankind change. For a man that has gained the ability to run at the speed of sound, 3 seconds can be a long time.

His powers scream at him. He can feel the emotions of all those around him draining into him, fueling him. Their fear. Their amazement. Their anger. Their greed. Their hope. All of this enters him, a heady mix that would intoxicate one without as ironclad control as him. Through the flames that now cover his eyes, he can see it all, each person a beacon of light, shining their thoughts to him.

3 ticks of a clock's hand.

And then chaos.

The calls for questions, the demands to know what is going on. Carter Daniels merely glares at them all till they grow silent again.

He says only one thing, before he scoops his sister up in his arms.

"Don't panic."

And then, like shooting stars, he leaps into the sky, the rest of his family following him.

* * *

(Eastern Europe)

"The entire world seems to be on at stand still as they come to grips with what has transpired. For those just joining us, we assure you this is not a joke: Carter Daniels, the CEO of Morbius, INC, is not human."

Joseph looked up from his cup of coffee as he watched the news, a grin playing along his features. "Well done Mr. Daniels…well done." Looking at his fingers, he rubbed them together behind stretching out his hand, firing a sonic blast that shattered the building across the road. As people ran and screamed in terror, the older man simple continued drinking his coffee.

* * *

(France- Headquarters of The Alliance)

"Already members of the United Nations are demanding answers to this potential threat. The American representative is pleading that he knows just as little as them, but that position may have been damaged by new evidence presented by WikiLeaks, which has released documents detailing the American Government's role in monitoring and capturing people with abilities similar to the ones demonstrated by Mr. Daniels."

"HE BROKE THE RULES!" One of the family heads screamed, pounding the table with his fist. "He must be made to suffer!"

"What would you have us do?" Orlando asked. "Carter Daniels is our leader…The Alliance was created for him to use as he saw fit. He doesn't follow the rules, his word is law."

"Something must be done!"

A woman chuckled. "He can rip fire trucks in half, make you into a drooling vegetable, and can punch at the speed of a jet engine. I for one have no suicide wish."

The others murmured in agreement.

* * *

"The woman that started this event has been identified as Claire Bennet. Miss Bennet is the half sister of Carter Daniels, and is the adopted daughter of Noah and Sandra Bennet…"

Lyle stared at the screen, eyes wide. "Mom…"

Sandra merely shook her head. "I know Lyle…I know."

* * *

Matt Parkman could only stare at the screen as Claire Bennet took her dive, the footage playing side by side with Carter Daniels announcement. He stared at his son, Matty pushing a little car around, and wondered if everything he had done was now in vain.

* * *

"_But the question is are these people a threat to the safety of the United States?"_

"_Of course they are, how could they not be?"_

"_Daniels said to not panic. They doesn't sound dangerous to me."_

"_But it does sound like something a terrorist would say moments before he hit the detonator."_

All around the University of Michigan-Flint, students and faculty could only stare at the images of Carter Daniels, Kelly Raegan, Hank Delpine and Prof. Linda Fray as talking heads debated if they were friend or foe.

Of course, some still marveled that stuttering little Carter had managed to bag Madrid Alverez…

* * *

"_The Vatican is denying reports that, upon viewing the footage, his Holiness proclaimed, "God is real…and He is an American."_

Bennet clicked the television off. "I think you all know why we are here."

Hiro, Peter, Ando and Lauren all look at him as he paced up and down Peter's apartment, clearly frustrated.

"In 3 minutes, those two managed to undo years of work." Lauren commented.

"Why did they do it?" Peter asked, shifting uneasily. He had no clue how to feel about this…his future self had tried to kill Nathan to prevent their exposure, warning that it would destroy the world.

"Claire is tired of hiding," Noah admitted. "As for Carter, I really have no clue."

"Where is Claire?" Peter asked.

Bennet sighed. "She sent me a text message, telling me she was fine, she was staying with Carter and his family until they could plan their next move."

"Who is Carter Daniels?" Hiro asked. He turned to Ando. "He said you two had met…he had held a sword to your throat?"

Ando nodded. "When you were gone, your father and I went to Carter…he and your mother, Peter, wanted something from him. He was not happy to give it up." Ando rubbed his throat. "Very unhappy."

"Carter Daniels is the son of Meredith Gordan and Edward Ellis." Noah glanced at Peter. "He's Claire's half brother…Eden's half brother as well."

"So that was Eden with him, wasn't it?" Peter asked, remembering Mohinder's friend.

"Yes and no," Lauren admitted. "He real name is Sarah Daniels. She practically raised Carter till he was seven."

"What are his powers?" Hiro asked. "He had…flame thingies."

Bennet ran his fingers through his hair. "You mean what he started with, or what he has now?"

"Now? He's like Sylar?" Ando questioned.

"No," Bennet said. "Not like Sylar. Carter Daniels, like Eden, has the ability to manipulate emotions. Those flames are pure energy he gives off, which allows him to alter the chemicals in the brain." He sat down in a chair, wishing he had a drink. "But to understand Carter, you have to know about his daughter.

"Carter and his wife Madrid have two children. The youngest, Gabriel, we have no clue what his powers are. The older, his daughter Valencia…she…"

"Carter was Number 2 on the Company's Most Wanted. Sylar was 3. Valencia was Number 1" Lauren stated.

Peter frowned. "How dangerous can a 4 year old be?"

"Valencia can give people powers," Bennet said bluntly. "She can enhance your natural gifts. Thanks to her, Carter and Madrid are now as strong as Mohinder, as fast as Daphne and heal like Claire." He closed his eyes. "They are also, apparently, immortal."

Hiro gulped.

"The little girl…she did all that?" Ando asked.

"Yes. And that is only scratching the surface. Angela Petrelli tried to claim Valencia, to keep her out of the wrong hands. Carter took out your father Hiro…Valencia took out the Haitian. She very well could have been the reason he contracted the Shanti Virus."

Peter frowned. "So, what is the problem, other than Carter outing himself? No one else knows we have powers. We can remain hidden."

"Except we don't know what Carter wants. He's gone from college student to CEO in a year, and now he literally has fashioned himself into a god. We need to find out what his endgame is."

"And how do you suggest we do that?"

Noah smiled. "By asking."

* * *

(Morbius, INC New York Office)

"I can't believe how cute you are."

Claire juggled Gabriel in her arms, the baby cooing softly as he wrapped strands of her hair around his hand, his other balled into a fist and stuck in his mouth.

"Gabe is bestest baby ever!" Vally said happily from where she sat, playing with her Barbie dolls. "That's mainly because I'm no longer a baby…I use to hold the title."

"You don't say," Claire murmured, kissing the baby on the forehead. "Do…do you guys know if he…"

"Is special?" Vally asked. "He is, watch!" She toddled over, handing Gabriel a coaster. "Gabe….bye bye!"

Gabriel giggled, purple flames bursting from his body, absorbing the coaster…and Claire's shirt.

"Aaaaa!"

Vally frowned. "Gabe!" Gabriel gurgled. "Give it back!"

"Naaama." With another blink the fires returned, Claire's shirt falling to the ground, along with, of all things, a bowling ball.

"…when did you get that?" Vally demanded.

"Vally, stop treating Gabriel like he is a puppy," Sarah said as she entered the playroom, Lee Malion fast on her heels. "And you…unhand my nephew, slowly."

Claire frowned as she passed Gabriel over, grabbing her shirt. "He's my nephew too."

"Were you there when he was born?

"You are still mad about that?"

"Oh yes."

Lee knelt down next to Vally. "This is going to get gooooooooood." The little girl nodded her head in agreement.

Claire huffed. "I made a mistake."

"The story of your life. If it were up to me, you'd be disowned, but its Carter's pocket book." Sarah cuddled Gabriel. "But that doesn't mean you get the benefits."

"I think I liked you better when you were my dad's assistant."

"And I liked you better when you weren't a whiny bitch. Think that was between the ages of 3 and 4, for about three weeks." Lee snickered. "Just remember Princess…you were the queen a few days ago, everyone trying to save the cheerleader. But now that Carter is here…you aren't even dirt."

"Mwwwhuh?" Gabriel cooed.

* * *

"May I help you?" The executive assistant asked, adjusting his tiny wire frame glasses.

"We are in the wrong profession," Bennet muttered.

Peter shook his head. "We are here to see Mr. Daniels."

"Mr. Daniels is not available at this time. If you are the press-"

"We aren't the press," Bennet said. "We already told the guard that. We're…"

"Like him."

The assistant nodded. "Oh, how silly of me." He looked at his calendar. "Yup…still not available."

Peter sighed, holding out his hand and sending the assistant's chair skidding across the room. "Trust me, he won't mind us interrupting a business call." Thrusting his hand out, he threw the doors open marching in to find…

…Madrid Daniels' naked form writhing in pleasure.

"Woah!" Bennet cried out shielding his eyes.

Madrid screaming, covering her chest, scrambling up and off her husband. Carter stood, eyes narrowed as he tapped a bare foot against the floor. "WHAT?" He roared.

"Uh…wow, really sorry…" Peter stammered.

"Carter…naked…" Madrid reminded him.

Carter glanced down, before busting into silver flames, Madrid doing the same, red fire coursing down her body and hugging her curves. It did cover the naughty bits, but did little to ease the embarrassment.

"Tucker, did I not say…"

"I tried sir…I so did…" Tucker fanned himself as he saw his boss standing there in all his silver glory. "Stars and garters…"

"Calm yourself." Carter grabbed Madrid's panties and tossed them too her, while he threw own his jeans. "Now, what was so important that you had to interrupt my wife and I as we enjoyed in the pleasures of the flesh?"

Madrid smirked as she put her bra on, Bennet trying not to look at the sight of a lacy black bra lifting and separating two glowing DD cups. "Pleasures of the flesh? More like fu-"

"Madrid, don't scar the little boys." Carter looked Peter over. "Peter Petrelli. I'm not surprised. And Noah Ben-" He froze, eyes narrowing. "Your not Noah."

"What?" Bennet asked.

Carter grit his teeth. "I read brain chemicals, and yours aren't Bennet's." His eyes widened. "Sylar."

'Bennet' shifted back into his normal form. "I…see you've heard of me."

"Yeah," Carter said, charging his fists. "You have a bad habit of trying to cut my sisters' heads open!"

Sylar blinked. "Uh oh."

Carter let out a roar, leaping at him.

* * *

**And now, the season premire trailer for the final season of Elsewhere and Heroes**

(We see Carter walking up a hill, Madrid carrying Gabriel as Vally darts around their legs. He glances at his watch, Madrid looking at him in concern, but he merely smiles. Randy Newman's 'When I'm Gone' Begins to play)

The time for us to say goodbye is near  
The day I hoped would never come is here

(We see Peter slowly going through his apartment, packing away books)

Though many hearts are broken we must somehow carry on  
Cause I think you're gonna miss me when I'm gone

(We see Claire staring at her cheerleader uniform, before placing it in a suitcase)

I thought my life was over when we met  
So little to remember, so much to forget

(We see Hank and Biddy placing baby Derek in his stroller, before walking down a street)

Though it was you who saw me through the darkness to the dawn  
Still I think you're gonna miss me when I'm gone

(We see Hiro and Ando packing away 9th Wonder comics, taking a moment to smile at each cover.)

I'm a modest man  
And it hurts me to say these things to you

(We see Lee putting the final touches on a massive portrait of the entire cast, Sarah and Terence watching on)

After all we've been through it's the least that I can do

(We see Noah Bennet looking at his apartment, turning off the light and shutting the door)

So instead of just goodbye I'll say so long

(We see Helena and Vic join Kelly and Linda at a street corner, tightening their jackets before walking away.

And as for the light by which you see me leave it on

(We see Gabriel Gray place the Sylar watch down on a grave)

I'm a better man than I was before  
knowing you has made me strong

(We see the entire cast of Heroes and Elsewhere all meet on a hill, laying down blankets and settling in, looking at the dark sky.)

and I sure am going to miss you when I'm gone

(Carter looks up and gives a sad smile)

Yes I sure am going to miss you when I'm gone

(The Eclipse overhead finally ends, though it isn't clear if the day is coming...or the night)

**Elsewhere**

_"It's Time to Say Goodbye"_**  
**


	102. The Right Side

"We are an evolving species. We always seek to change ourselves, to better ourselves. We push ourselves to grow and change, to put away the childish things of our youth and become the men and women we wish to be. But what happens when those that knew us as we were…see us as we are now?"

_-Mohinder Suresh_

* * *

Peter and Sylar both threw up their hands, Carter's body hung in mid-air as they struggled to hold him. His fires ragged all around him, threatening to engulf them if they came a step closer. He never let his eyes drift from either of them as he used all his strength to test the new bonds he found himself against.

"Calm down!" Peter shouted, sweat appearing on his brow as he fought to keep Carter in line. It was like trying to stop a mack truck.

"Make me!" Carter snapped, eyes glowing silver as he slowly began to raise his right hand, only for Sylar to reach out and force him to stop.

Peter shook his head. "I understand you are upset, but you need to listen! Gabriel has changed…whatever he did to you, he has repented."

Carter grit his teeth. "I'll be the judge of that." His eyes flashed, and Peter let out a scream as a blast of whammy flames shot from Carter's pupils and struck him in the chest. Sylar's concentration broke, giving Carter the chance to rip free of the invisible restraints and strike at the older man. Sylar braced himself as he went hurtling through the wall, Carter chasing right after him.

Peter slowly stood up, fighting to shake off the whammy effects, only to get punched in the gut by Madrid.

"I am getting sick of unwanted visitors!"

Peter groaned, grabbing her hand. "You need to calm down…" He blinked when a second hand grew from his wrist. "What the?"

Madrid rolled her shoulders, 4 more arms sprouting from her body, each balled into a fist. "I heard you like to copy powers…mine has a steep learning curve." Peter just managed to throw up his arms as Madrid came swinging at him.

* * *

Angela Petrelli looked at the glass of scotch that sat on the table. It was such a MAN'S drink. Arthur had been known to down them, from time to time. Nathan too. Peter had preferred a cold beer, but that was to be expected. Peter had never really become a man, not in her eyes. He didn't have the guts to do what needed to be done, to understand what true sacrifice was.

Not like his father

Not like his brother.

Not like her.

Angela grabbed the glass and drained it within moments.

Her cellphone rang and Angela considered just letting it keep blaring. But that wasn't her, not by a long shot. She was someone that took things head on…even something as simple as a phonecall.

"Hello?"

"Still betting on the wrong horses, are we Angela?"

Angela's eyes narrowed. "Martha."

The Englishwoman chuckled over the phone. "I'd be dead if words could kill…and I could still die." When Angela said nothing, Martha continued. "We need to talk."

"And here I thought we were," Angela said dryly.

Martha's tone was filled with poisonous humor. "I mean face to face. My fight has just landed, but if you hurry you can meet me at the gate."

"Flight…you are in New York?"

"Very astute. Yes, I am. Now then, why don't you get in that limo of yours and come talk with me."

Angela frowned. "About what?"

"About how you, for once, you are going to pick the right side."

And with that, the phone died.

* * *

The building shook as Carter burst through another wall, fast on the heels of the retreating Sylar. "So, this is the whispered nightmare of all heroes? The fallen one? The Company's #3 man?" Carter scoffed, grabbing a file cabinet and hurling it at Sylar. "Pathetic…no wonder I'm Number 2."

Sylar got to his feet, the cabinet laying just to his right. "I don't want to hurt you."

"That's ok…you won't get too." Carter grabbed a desk and let it fly, Sylar reaching out with his telekinesis and stopping it before setting it down. He then raised his hand, firing bolts of blue lightning.

"But I will protect myself," he informed him, forcing Carter to back up. "You are powerful, but I am just as strong."

"No…you're not." Carter focused, his fires receding into his skin as he entered his ascended form. "**You have power, that is true**," Carter intoned, standing up even as the lightning danced along his skin. "**But you don't know how to use it.**" Carter rolled his neck back and forth. "**What powers remain with you, Sylar? I've read your file and it seems you are always gaining and losing abilities. The shape shifting is new, as is the lightning. Whatever happened to that ice ability you had?"**

Sylar ignored him. "I understand how to use my abilities, and the danger that comes from them. Unlike you."

"**Is that a challenge?"**" Carter asked, pausing for a moment. "**I will give you a freebie…use that first ability of yours on me."**

Sylar nodded, focusing on Carter, listening to the rhythm of his body, searching for the mistakes, the imperfections he was sure to find.

What he found…

"You're…you're perfect. Not a single thing wrong."

Carter smirked. **"A gift from my daughter. She has made me into perfection." **His hand began to glow hot as he slowly approached Sylar. "Time to show you just how powerful she made me."

Sylar, however, continued to focus. "Your power…it allows you to manipulate emotions, to control and read them. Matt Parkman said he could read my mind, but not my heart. You could do that…you could read my heart."

Carter's fires died down. "I suppose I could…and I could also rip your mind to pieces." He gave Sylar a dark smile.

"I have changed…if that is the risk I must take to prove it…"

Carter's had ignited in flames. "This is going to hurt."

"I know."

It was the last think Sylar was able to say before he began to scream.

* * *

"Malcolm?" Ellie asked, entering their bedroom. Carter had bought up several floors of one of New York's posh apartment complexes to serve the group while they were in New York, and Ellie and Malcolm had taken full advantage of it. "You in-"

The words died on her tongue as she saw Malcolm standing in the middle of the room, arms flung out and eyes pure white, face twisted in pain. She rushed towards him, practically feeling the energy vibrating through his body.

"MALCOLM!" She screamed, her cry finally managing to break him out of his trance. Malcolm fell to the ground, panting hard. "What happened?"

"The Second Coming…" Malcolm whispered, shaking. "The Second Coming."

* * *

"Daddy?" Vally squealed, hurrying into the room, dragging a little wagon that held Derek and Gabe. The infants cooed, their eyes glowing in response to the power they felt coming off of the man.

And with that…it was over.

Carter removed his hand, staring at Sylar, who was panting hard.

"Daddy…is everything ok?"

Carter turned to his daughter…and smiled.

"Yes princess, yes it is." He lifted his daughter up, hugging her close. "I want to introduce you someone…" he waved his hand at Sylar. "This Gabriel, Gabriel Gray."

Sylar blinked in surprise.

"Hi! I'm Vally!" Vally giggled, waving her hand.

"Uh…hi." Sylar murmured, still shocked by Carter's about-face.

Vally pointed towards the wagon. "That's Derek and the cuter one is my baby brother. He's a Gabriel too!"

Sylar looked at the infants, then Carter.

"It's…along story." Carter admitted.


End file.
